Silver and Gold the fox without a vixen
by AlabrithGaiamoon
Summary: Youko and Koronue get a human 4 a protege! Is that all they get? She doesn't talk, but if she wants to leave, what will Youko say? (man, this sounds corny.)COMPLETE to be continued...
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1. The Graveyard

The two top thieves in Makai, Youko Kurama and Korunue. 

They are notorious criminals, but gentlemen in a sense. They never raped or attacked when one's back is turned. They are honored by other good thieves, for their talents; yet detested by weaker thieves. Never caught, never stopped, never challenged. Countless bounty hunters went missing after them. 

Youko's treasures of choice were codes and ancient artifacts. Korunue was partial to weapons and jewels, especially red jewels. The two were loyal to one another, always looking out for each other; but even friends can quarrel, and this, is were our story begins.

A lonely bamboo forest concealed a bickering pair from enemy eyes. There was no moon to betray them any way, but not all enemies only see in daylight. A silver haired fox stood leaning against a pole of bamboo, watching his friend rave. He was trying to persuade the evil looking fairy to plunder the tomb of a demon samurai lord. 

"No, no, and a thousand times NO!" a taller figure with black wings and blacker hair end eyes crossed his arms.

"What is so bad about it, Korunue?" the fox asked.

"That's creepy, even for me!"

"It's not like they will miss anything…"

"We are thieves who steal from the living, not ghouls who rob the dead! Don't you know one can invoke ghosts when thieving from the deceased?"

"Ghosts, shmousts."

"If you want to be haunted by the undead, start digging! I'm not going to get my wings dirty with your _revolting_ sense of kleptomania!"  Korunue turned his back to Youko stubbornly. The fox glared at his partner and stuck out his tongue. "I can see that!" Korunue growled.

"See this!!" Youko jumped on Korunue's back and covered his eyes. "You immature little whelp! Get off me!!"

Youko clung tighter and sent his youki into the roots of a nearby shoot of bamboo. The plant obeyed by lifting one root up a few inches higher. Korunue tripped over this and fell on his face in the dirt. Korunue beat his black wings, "You perverted malicious mutt-of-a-dog, GET OFF MY BACK!!"

"Don't be such a woman, Korunue!" Youko said softly. Korunue's wings promptly smacked him in the face. The two stood up and brushed them selves off professionally. "Will you at least come with me? You wouldn't want any ghosts to get your best partner ever, would you?" Youko pleaded, he rarely did, only to his friend. Korunue, being superstitious and therefore wary of super natural beings and occurrences, would not dither. Youko made his eyes big and watery. "I do not want to rob a grave all alone, especially one of a great warrior, especially at night, especially if that means all those pretty _ruby_ encrusted _weapons_ are all mine." Koronue's eyes glittered. "I suppose I cannot let you carry all the goodies by your onesy." 

"Deceitful, spoiled, cowardly-"

"Shh!" the fox shushed his friend. No one was around but Youko was used to being stealthy. A graveyard stretched out before them, rich people' s tombs dotted the landscape. In the center of the vast valley, a tall thorny wad of bushes loomed over every thing else. It was a labyrinth of bushes almost two stories high, with dagger-like spears nearly four inches long. Blundering about in the dark would not be fun. The thieves snuck toward it, assured the prize they sought was with in it. Because the plants were enchanted, they would not yield to the fox's manipulative ability. "I smell something," he whispered. Korunue cocked his head, "I sense a spirit, drawing nearer." His elfin ears twitched.

"You're being superstitious again."

"Look!" he pointed to the maze. A pale shape was emitted through the bushes, like a fog; the cloud slowly reformed into a white cloaked figure with no face, it drifted across to another tomb, it stopped as if inspecting the grave, and moved on.

"A Graveyard Guardian." Youko whispered. "It's watching to make sure the graves aren't defiled. Damn."

"Ghosts, shmosts, huh?" Korunue elbowed his friend in the ribs. 

"Oh, shut up! This changes nothing." Youko stood up and darted toward the maze. He pulled a rose from under his hair and ran in. "One must fight fire with fire, thorn with thorn."

Youko let his spirit energy flow into the simple plant; the fibers stretched and thickened, the thorns grew longer, sharper, deadlier. Finally, the petals rained from the top of the stem, releasing a sweet aroma. 

Rose Whip! 

The weapon cracked. Youko raised it and swung it in a circular pattern, cutting a path through the walls of the maze. His partner walked in behind him casually. "You're getting sloppy Youko." He smirked. 

"Do you have a better idea?"

"That's your department, I just stand around and look pretty." This made the fox chuckle. After what seemed like hours, Youko sat down to catch his breath. "How big is this maze?" his arm had begun to ache. His winged friend chuckled. "You should have been smarter than this. You obviously can't walk through here the easy way."

"How do mean?"

"Can't you sense the energy around us? The maze shifts its self so we will never find the exit, look behind you." He gestured with his thumb; the gaping path that the fox had made was growing back at an alarming rate. "What kind of maze is this?!" he cried. "Shh!" his friend clamped a hand over his mouth, something is coming."

Korunue pulled his friend into a shadowy corner and spread his black wings to camouflage them. No footsteps were heard, but a faint flicker of ki could be felt. Youko peeked over Korunue's shoulder. A slim black figure swept past them, disappearing around another corner as soon as it had come. "It's the Guardian!" Korunue rasped. "Follow it! It may know the way through the maze!" Youko slipped out from under the bat like wings and scurried after the phantom. Korunue darted to join him; the fluttering cloak in front of them was moving fast, but every now and then, it would stop, as if to listen or look for some thing. 

After about twenty minutes, the figure stopped. Korunue almost plowed into his friend. They had reached the tomb, a small stone house, with a huge stone door. The phantom looked down at something for a moment, and then put a hand on the door. It did not push, but the door swung out ward of its own accord. It was about to enter when Youko started to laugh, "Thank you for leading us to the tomb, Graveyard Guardian, we will take it from here." The phantom spun around with a hiss. A scary growl emitted from it, "The treasures within are not for your hands.."

"Ghosts cannot speak, who are you?" Korunue twirled a scythe in the air. "Obviously a stealthier rogue than you are; if you hadn't made so much noise bumbling around in the dark with out considering to get a map first, I would never have let you follow me."

"Do you know who we are?" Youko snarled, raising his whip. The phantom chuckled, "You are impulsive pickpockets, nothing more." The phantom backed into the tomb, melting into the shadows. Youko was about to charge in the tomb when Korunue held his arm out. "It wants us to follow, it's a trap." Youko brushed away from him. "Come out of there, phantom! How dare you call us lowly pickpockets? We are the _best_ at what we do!"

The phantom drifted out of the tomb. "Get away from this place before the Guardian returns. Thieves never get out of this place alive." The phantom held a gleaming ruby studded sword. "Who are you to tell _us _what to do? You are no more honorable than we, robbing graves." Youko sneered. 

"Who said I stole this? It was mine long before this samurai died."

"Likely story. If you don't mind, we'll plunder that tomb now." Youko stepped toward the figure, raising his whip. "No! Get down, you fools!" the phantom swept to the fox's side and spread its cloak like wings, as if guarding them. The fox could feel the soft fabric brush his arm. The rogue stood many inches higher than he. 

Before them, the Guardian had returned. It turned its non-existent face toward them and snarled dryly. It spread its cloak just as the black rogue did. The black rogue whispered over its shoulder to the thieves, "You have to leave, it hasn't seen you yet, if it does, your souls will be eaten. Get on the roof and wait for me. _Go!" _Korunue, superstitious as he is, seized his friend and winged out of sight. Youko slapped his friend's hands indignantly and peered over the edge of the roof. The black rogue had dropped its cloak, and to his surprise, lifted its hands in surrender. The white rogue soared to its prey and delved into it, being absorbed into the living form. Korunue watched in horror and amazement, their protector _allowed _a ghost to attack it. His eyes sparkled with admiration, what a guy! The rogue twitched and jerked spasmodically, then stood bolt upright and still as stone. "Oh, no." Youko gasped; but contrary to his assumption about the rogue's fate, the ghost passed out of the living body just as it had come. It went into the tomb, silently closing the doors behind it. The rogue sprung from the ground to the roof.

  "That was amazing! How did you get out of a scrape with a Graveyard Guardian alive?" Korunue asked in a whisper. Youko scowled and crossed his arms. "I'm related to the Samurai, but only by marriage, and I came to pay respects. The Guardian would not attack its own kin, especially if I was not here to _steal!"_ the rogue spat the last word. "If you want a token for your toil, take this," It held out the ruby sword with a gloved hand, "I don't care for weapons, it's not my personal style. If you really want to steal tonight, take my sword and go."

The two were speechless; Korunue was still amazed, Youko was just feeling angry. "Why did you help us? If you hate thieves, why did you save us and then offer us charity?" the fox snarled. "Are we not good enough to do things for our selves? Or do you want us to repay you in some way?" Korunue was far from angry, he had happily accepted the red-jeweled blade, oblivious to his partner's indignation, and was twirling it in his fingers like a baton. _'Idiot.'_

The rogue chuckled softly. "Snippy, aren't we? The truth why I did what I did, is because… I like you. And I do not like to watch people die. I advise you to leave this place and not return. There is a diamond mine to the north if you were looking for gems, I don't care, just leave the dead alone." The rogue turned and dissipated into the shadows. Youko was shaking with rage, he was so angry he did not notice his friend flying him away from the graveyard until he was dropped to the ground. 

"The nerve…the _nerve _of that guy!!"

"He wasn't all that bad, _I _got a new toy!"  

_'Idiot'  _

"Aren't you the least bit fazed about any thing that happened? Because I, for one, am insulted!"

"You act like this whole affair was fruitless."

"The fruits were charity, Korunue! Some times I think you have no sense of honor!"

"I have priorities! We went into danger, we almost got our souls eaten but we didn't, we were given a valuable weapon, and even tips on another place to steal from!! We're still alive, that's all I care to worry about right now! It's late and we have a long journey to our hideout tomorrow. If you still feel angry in the morning, I will be happy to argue with you then. Good night." The bat-fairy turned on his heel and jumped up a tree.

The fox felt abashed, but still cross. He sat down in the grass below to the tree his friend was in and, growing a bit of moss for a pillow, fell asleep.

What is Kounue? I'll give any one a cookie that can say

Onesy means 'all by your self'


	2. The Girl and the boys

Chapter 2. The girl and the boys

When the sun finally woke Youko up, Korunue was already making breakfast. "If you are still angry, have some eggs." He offered. The fox smiled sheepishly, "I'm not angry anymore," he accepted the eggs. "I'll just pretend it never happened. My pride might just forget."

"That's the spirit!" Korunue said.

"Ugh! Please don't mention ghosts."

The two were almost to their destination when Korunue had the sudden urge to kill something, apparently. Youko was in his fox form, enjoying the warm sun lazily when his friend returned with a rabbit. "Who's up for Bunny Burgers?"

The fox put his paws over his face in a way that suggested the phrase, 'I'm surrounded by morons.' For those who are unaware, rabbit meat is sweet and gives off the same high as sugar does. The result of the two eating the rabbits was spastic, and giddy. Korunue was hopping up trees and then floating gracefully down again. Youko was chasing his tails like a puppy and yapping like mad. Korunue jumped in front of the fox and patted his knees like any dog owner would do.

"Do you want to run, boy? Huh? Do ya? Yeah? Ya wanna run?"

Youko barked enthusiastically, jumping up and down.

"Let's GO!! Lets GO!! C'mon! Lets GO!!" Korunue dashed down the path with the fox at his heels. Every now and then, the fox would get ahead of him and he would use his wings to gain the lead again. The trees on either side of them spread apart suddenly and the path went into a clearing with a large boulder in the center. Korunue ran to it and slapped the boulder. "I win!" he cried triumphantly. Youko growled, Korunue started to back away; smelling his fear, the fox began to chase him around the boulder again and again. Korunue was on the opposite side of the boulder as Youko, so he jumped up on top of it, letting the fox chase and bark at nothing. After a while Youko stopped and started to pant, Korunue started to laugh manically. Youko jumped on the boulder and tackled the black fairy in mid transformation.

"Aah! Don't kill me!" he cried. Youko grinned, "I won't kill you, I'll just make you wish you were dead!  Now suffer, Death by Tickling!" he raised his hands, wiggling his fingers.

"AAAAAAA-HA HA HA HA HA HA-STOP-HA HA HA-HAVE MERCY!!"

"The legendary bandit knows no mercy! Wa ha ha ha!"

Smack!

The victim had struck his attacker in the head with the flat side of his scythe. Kourunue scrambled away and began to run again. "Ha, ha! Ya' snooze, ya' lose!" The game continued, chasing one another and tackling each other to the ground. Twenty minutes later, the sugar high had left them abruptly and dropped them like a rock.

"So-tired-chest-burning!" the bat demon lay on his face in the grass, stretching his arm forward hopelessly. Youko was not much better off; he had fainted and fell on Koronue's back, weighing him down. Both were caked in dirt and little scratches but other wise fine.

"Pa-a-a-i-i-i-n!" Koronue whined. Youko woke up, "I'm tired, bad rabbits! Evil meat!"

"Get off me, you need to lose some pounds."

"Are you calling me fat?" ;-.-;

"Uh…No, you're just…condensed." O.o

"You called me fat!! You're so mean!!"  T.T Youko pretended to cry and scooted away from him. 

"I didn't mean to insult you…" Korunue tried to comfort his friend.

"HA!" Youko jabbed a finger at him, "You _do _have a soft spot!"

"You wily little knave! You faked it!!"

"Every second."

A few minutes later, the two were trekking through a thick patch of wood guarding their hideout. They separated so they would not leave too big of a trail, or wear in a track that would expose them. The fox was currently sneaking past a patch of dangerous poison ivy when a familiar kind of smell reached his nose. Blood. It was not demon blood, no, much more tolerable than demon blood. He followed the smell through a thick area of thorns, picking through the branches so as not to cut himself with the deadly, sharp spikes. 

He made the mistake of stepping on a twig; at the second of that little snap, a thorny branch shot out at him. He flared his reiki at it. The branch halted and recoiled, recognizing its master. Youko sighed; any hope he had in hiding his energy was gone. The plants submissively parted before him, trying to catch some of his spiritual power; bushes are greedy little devils. His nose noted the smell of blood getting stronger; he liked it, it was pleasant for a change. Following it, he found a thick mass of thorns circling a tree trunk. The barbed branches were twitching and squirming excitedly.

'The thorns have caught a snack, gross.' Knowing that these plants were incapable of digesting living beings, only sucking away their energy and leaving the bodies to rot. He began to turn away when he heard a groan. He paused and tilted one of his furry ears back. This little sound had made the thorns shuffle more excitedly. What ever they had was still alive. Curiously, the fox approached the bushes. He pushed the branches apart with some difficulty; they were possessive of their prey. He forced the last limbs away and found what he was looking for.

A slender being was tethered to the tree with a few thick thorny vines. From what he could tell, it was female. Her arms were stuck up above her head, and her legs were intertwined with vines, forcing her to stand up as tall as she could or be stabbed. She had worked one hand free and had it to her lips, for it was bleeding. He watched her in amusement; this low class demon was completely unaware of him or ignoring him. Her white clothes were all but shreds, revealing her midriff and one shoulder. The female attempted freeing her other hand, when yet another branch seized her free hand and retied it. The vines wriggled all about her, slightly glowing as they thieved her precious energy. She let out a pitiful groan as her head hung forward limply.

The fox skipped shortly forward; tilting his ears toward her chest, he could make out her faint heartbeat. Her scent wafted toward him.

'That's not a demon, that's a _human!'_

He noticed a black cloak fastened around her shoulders. It was _her _who rescued him and Koronue last night! Flaring his reiki again, the thorns reluctantly released her after giving her one last drain. Youko caught her as she fell forward and put her over one shoulder. Casually strolling away, the bushes writhed angrily and became still again.

Korunue was gliding carefully through the trees, trying to remain silent. His wings made a soft sound in the air, but other wise did not betray him. He felt his friend's spirit energy spark up; he jerked his head toward it, but it vanished as soon as it came. The winged warrior touched to he ground and paused, listening, watching, and feeling for any sign of danger. A few minutes had passed, nothing. He was about to fly again when his friend's energy flared again, this time, it lasted for a few seconds, then died.

Koronue trusted his friend could take care of himself, but he also knew Youko was the only friend he had. Shaking his head, he quickly flew away again, but at a much more frantic pace.

      Hi mom! (waves retardedly)

      R&R


	3. Trapped: part 1

Chapter 3 Trapped: part 1

Youko strolled along lazily. The ningen girl on his shoulder slept deeply, as if she were in a coma. The woods cleared out, a black figure was fuming-no seething. Koronue looked rather rumpled, veins were popping out all over his face. 

"Exactly where and what the hell have you been doing?" he asked through gritted teeth. "I thought you had been attacked! What do I find you doing? Searching for a _toy!_ What is wrong with you?!"

"One, I'm flattered that you were worried. Two, she is not a toy; she was the one who rescued us last night. Three, I want answers from her, and so do you, apparently." The fox replied casually. Koronue cocked an eyebrow, "Are you sure?"

"Positive, I recognize the scent on the cloak."

"So what do you plan to do with her? Wait till she wakes up and then put a knife to her throat and interrogate her on pain of death?"

"Of course not, that would be rude! She _did _save us after all. We owe her a little _gratitude_." Whether he crooned with sweet grace or bitter vengeance or both, Koronue took a step back.

Youko didn't expect the female to wake up any time soon; her spirit energy had been leeched for who-knows-how-long. Being a practiced healer with plants, her injuries would take no time to heal at all. Except for a deep gash on her wrist, it looked jagged, and infected. This was the hand she had struggled to work free so many times. He didn't mind fixing her hurts, most of them were only flesh wounds, and he quite preferred the smell of her blood compared to others.

He still felt irked about what had happened the night before, but tried not to think about the horrible things he could do as revenge. Something about this human intrigued him. It wasn't her face, not the fact that she was a female, or that she was in Reikai of all places. He could not quite place it. He was tying the last knot on her wrist's bandage when she moved.

"Hurts…" she pulled her wrist away and twitched her fingers. 'She is dreaming, how cute. Pathetic human.' The fox petted her forehead, 'pretty little thing, too. Too bad I'm going to torture her when she wakes up.' He watched her for a few moments, she breathed very softly, disturbing a stray lock of hair so it moved back and forth with her breathing. He brushed it aside, admiring her hair. It was about the same length as his, and so very strange; it was the exact hue of rose gold; tumbling across the couch on which she lay in majestic waves. It seemed almost too grand for her face, which was very pale. Her heart shaped face was donned with a pair long-lashed eyes, currently closed, and a set of sugary pink lips.

He stared intently at her lips, so full, so perfect. Yummy…

"What are you doing?" The fox jerked. The black winged demon was bent over him, staring at him as hard as he was staring at her. Youko stuttered for a moment, "I-uh…uh…" Koronue raised an eyebrow. 

"Well, I'm going to leave you to your 'uh-ing'…Pervert."

 "Oh, shut up."

(Flash back)

Alone the girl stood. "Where am I?" she mused softly. It was dark. Not just any darkness; _advanced_ darkness. Not even crickets chirped. The stars were shrouded. A faint light sparkled in front of her; she recognized it instantly. It was the light given off when a light is reflected off the back of a retina. She was looking at a pair of eyes. She drew her breath. 

"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. I couldn't in this form any way." A voice said soothingly. A figure began to glow, giving off enough light to cast ghostly shadows on the grass. The figure was slightly transparent, as if it were a ghost. The female wanted to run, but was rooted down. The figure took a few steps closer to her, offering her a transparent hand. "See for yourself." She slowly reached for his hand, her fingers passing through his. "Don't be afraid, I am here to help you." She looked confused. The figure swept off his cloak and revealed his face. 

He was tall and bronze, with dark hair and eyes. His features were similar to her own: strongly built, but graceful, untamable hair and a childish sparkle in his eyes. 

"I have to give you something, it will protect you here." He held out his hands, though she could not touch them. Something truly solid fell from between his fingers. "It takes a great deal of energy to transport things between worlds." He explained. She picked up what had fallen. It was a simple metal sphere pendant. She put it on reluctantly; as it dropped onto her chest; it rang out like a bell. Spiffy! 'Why am I here? Where is here?' she thought. The man smiled gently, "You meet your other half here." He answered her thoughts. She gave him a queer look and took a step back. 

Waving his hand in front of her eyes, he murmured some words she didn't understand. Falling over side ways, she was in a deep sleep. The man took off his transparent cloak, made it solid, and let it fall over her. "I'll watch over you from time to time, little one." And he disappeared.

(End flash back)

The fox had waited by her side patiently. She was beginning to come to; she touched her forehead and sat up. "Welcome back Tou-Koushin (sugar-lips)." He crooned; she jerked, seizing her cloak and inching away from him. Koronue walked into the room, "She awake?"

She jumped up and pressed herself against the wall behind her, trying to look as small as possible. Her rosy blonde waves fell across her face, hiding her. The thieves advanced on her. Koronue stopped; he grabbed his friend's shoulder. "This isn't the right one."

"What?"

"She isn't the one who rescued us."

"Are you crazy, of course she is, she has the scent and the cloak." 

"Look closer." Youko closed the space between himself and the girl. Her eyes glittered at him, in the most brilliant shade of green he had ever seen. He was looking down at her, for she was an inch or so shorter than him. Shorter…

"She's too short to be the one."

"Exactly, and too slender. You've bagged yourself an imposter. She has the _cloak_ with _someone else's_ scent on it."

"Where did you get that cloak, Tou-Koushin?" Youko turned back to her. She shrugged, her fear melting away. "So what do we do with her now? She is of no use to us." The fox sighed, waving his tail in a tired sort of way. The girl reached up and poked one of his ears curiously. He snatched her wrist and drew it away. "What are you _doing_?"

She blushed and looked away. She had never seen such enchanted creatures before. "You want to see them?" he leaned forward. She blushed, her fingers hovering in front of her lips. "Don't be afraid Tou-Kou, I won't bite you." 

Koronue started to laugh; feeling much more friendly with her new nickname, she touched his ears again. The silvery fur was soft on her fingertips, the fox closed his eyes for a moment, she thought she heard a small purr and let her hand fall. Tou-Kou blushed furiously. Youko picked her up, "Can we keep her?"==

"As long as she's house trained…" --;

"Yay!" 

"This is on your head!"

Youko did a dance people rarely see when he is happy. Tou-Kou gave him a look as if to say, "What am I, a puppy?" He stopped and put her down. "You haven't said a word since you woke up, what is your name, human girl?"

Tou-Kou smiled shyly and said nothing. The thieves raised an eyebrow, "Hey, Koronue, lets tickle her till she talks." Her eyes went wide. A blonde streak floored Koronue and Youko, scrambled out the door and skittered madly down the labyrinth of halls. The chase was on.

      Angsty chap coming up.

      R&R


	4. Trapped: part 2

Chapter 4 Trapped: part 2

Koronue stepped coolly into the hallway, his friend and partner beside him. "You take the high road-"

"And I'll take the low road-"

"I bet I can catch her before ya'."

Youko regressed to his pure fox body; he could always track better as a beast. Waving his tails excitedly, he bent his nose to the floor for a moment, chose a direction, and bolted down a hall. Koronue made an anime sweat drop, "Show off."

Tou-Kou was panicked, stumbling down a set of stairs. She fell the last three steps, and crawled when her leg betrayed her. The thieves' hide out was a hopeless maze to those who did not know it. Her knee stopped throbbing just in time for a four-legged pile of happy to trounce her rudely. She made a small, high-pitched sound and shoved him off. The vulpine whirlwind snagged the hem of her cloak and growled playfully. Tou-Kou was terrified; after playing tug-of-war for a moment, she jerked off the cloak, threw it over her assailant and wrapped him up in it quicker than he could wag his tails. O.o 'What just happened?'

Koronue was at a disadvantage, to move fast, he would have to use his wings, which indoors he could not. His tracking skills were not very good, and he had no way of predicting the little ningen. So, he began to search rooms, one by one, and lock the doors behind him, thus by process of elimination, he would eventually corner her. Lets check back on Tou-Kou, shall we?

Her bare feet made little or no sound on the cool floors. By the absence of windows, she assumed she was under ground; also assuming Youko and Koronue assumed she wanted to escape, she assumed they would head higher to the exits, assuming she was not in the lower levels. O.o That's confusing… Falling down thirty-seven flights of stairs collectively, she reached the lowest of low places and limped down another hallway. The basements were used to store things from food to treasures, each room a messy maze. She found the room farthest from the last stairs and hid herself under an old king sized bed, which suited her quite nicely for it was nearly two and a half feet above the ground. There, she curled up in a ball and hid.

The fox found it almost too easy to track her scent, but was predicting where her trails would lead all wrong. He thought she might be going up to the exit, but her trails led him down. Then it clicked in his head that she was trying to trick him. She was going down while they were going up. 'Clever girl, that one.' He thought with his nose to the floor again. His search led him into the basement of the hide out. With only one way out of it, he changed back into his two-legged form; confident his nose would lead him right to her. He stepped carefully through the disorganized hoard of goods. He searched each room carefully, flicking his silver tail and ears warily; he heard a strange sound. He couldn't place it. He made his way to the last room in the basement, the door hung open; she was in here somewhere.

He could hear the strange sound more clearly, he knelt to the ground; clearer; he crawled across the room; clearer; he looked under the big bed; bingo. Tou-Kou was curled up under the bed, sobbing quietly. His golden eyes faltered. Why was she crying? 'She's frightened.' He thought with pity. Crawling under the bed with her, his heart almost broke. 'I'm supposed to be a scary bandit, I'm getting soft.' She took no notice of him, for he was quieter than a mouse. He touched her hair, she gasped and cringed away from him. "Don't be afraid, Tou-Koushin. I was only playing with you." He tried to soothe her; she recoiled again when he reached out to her. He stared as if he had been struck in the face, she didn't trust him at all. Her eyes where brimming with diamond-like tears, reflecting the light, making her eyes look bigger, more innocent.

She shoved herself farther away from him, coming out on the other side of the bed. He scooted after her and grabbed her ankle as she was trying to climb over the bed. She gave a small yelp. He came out from under the bed and wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms down. She tried to scream, his hand shot over her mouth, "Please don't scream, my ears could not take it, you understand?" he said gently, sitting on the bed. Tears poured out over his fingers. Her eyes were painful to look at. He rocked her slowly, trying to calm her down. "I won't rape or violate you, I promise; or may my tails be cut off."

Tou-Kou shook with sobs, making little noise out of fear and nature. The fox loosened his grip on her arms, which she slid around his waist, burying her head in his half bare chest. They stayed like that for a while, him stroking her tresses with one hand and whispering to her, and her crying her heart out and hiccupping now and then.

When she stopped crying, she sat up and wiped off her face. Looking down at her hands, she caught sight of her clothes, which were in shreds and very revealing. Drawing her arms around herself, she blushed. Youko looked confused, "What's wrong?" his eyes drifted down to her clothes, as most demons don't have a problem with nudity, he was baffled. "Are you cold, what?" her blush deepened. "What?!"

Pouting, she held out a shred of her shirt to him. "Ooh!" he slapped his forehead. "No problem, you still have that cloak; it's upstairs." Leading her out of the room, he walked up the stairs of the basement and opened the door. Or tried to.

"Oh, poo! It's locked; Koronue must have locked us in by accident! Idiot…" -.-;

Tou-Kou groaned, thumping her forehead on the door. "Yes, you'll have to forgive him, he's an idiot. _You hear that Koronue? YOU'RE A BAKA, YOU BAKA!! HEELP!! It smells funny down here!" _the fox pounded on the door like a mad man. Tou-Kou smacked him in the back of the head. He stared at her wide-eyed, and then threw his arms around her, faking tears, his specialty.

"Oh, Tou-Kou, what will we do? We could die down here! We'll have to eat rats to stay alive and make love to stay warm!!"

O.o

SMACK!!

Sprawled across the floor, the fox rubbed his check tenderly, "I was just kidding, Tou-Kou, yeesh!"

Koronue was officially freaked out. Being alone was creepy enough, but at night in the dark (he was too lazy to light candles.) was just plain spooky. Every little sound was brought to his pointed ears. His comrade was missing, and the ningen girl with him. He had set up a base behind a couch, armed with his scythes and a broom handle rubber band shooter.

Rustle!

"AAAH!!" Twang, twang! Crash!

An innocent vase had the crap shot out of it with rubber bands, then shattered with a scythe. Koronue uncovered his eyes. He frowned and collected his weapons. Sensing his friend's reiki flaring furiously, he ran down stairs to find him. Moments later, when he discovered the door to the basement, he could hear his friend cursing loudly and beating on the door. He unlocked the door, opened it, and was plowed into the ground. Four fist and four feet began to beat the crap out of him. "What did I do?" he wheezed when the hurt let up.

"You locked us in the basement, you baka!"

"Oops!" O.o

"Oops?' is that all you can say? We could have died down there, while you were being paranoid in the dark and attacking random furniture!!"

"How the hell did you know about that?"

"I'm Youko Kurama, I know everything." He smirked evilly. Tou-Kou's stomach began to growl menacingly. O.o Time for dinner.

After plowing through several bowls of rice and other condiments (And scaring Youko and Koronue with how much she could eat.) Tou-Kou found her cloak and claimed Youko as a pillow. "Isn't she cute?" Koronue mocked. "Shut up." But true to Koronue's word, the fragile little creature had dug herself into their cold hearts and made them both a little less evil.

"Keeping a human around is not practical for our lifestyle, you know that don't you?" Koronue spoke softly as she slept. "How hard could it be? Tou-Kou looks old enough to handle herself." The fox replied.

"Why do you keep calling her that?"

"What, Tou-Koushin?"

"Stop. When you start naming things, you get attached to them, and that makes you weaker."

"She won't make me weaker. This human means nothing to me." He lied.

"No good shall come of this, Youko."

"Tou-Kou will not change anything."

"For your sake, I hope so, Youko. You have had many crushes, many lovers, and they all ended the same. Heart ache for you, and a nuisance for me." He said forebodingly.

"You know I swore off love and lust a long time ago. I will _never_ open up again."

That's a parody of a song, "You take the high road and I'll take the low road, and I'll get to Scotland before ya'."

R&R


	5. The fox the bat and the girl

Chapter 5 The fox, the bat, and the girl.

Early the next morning, too early to Tou-Kou's preference, Koronue nudged the ningen gently with his foot. "Wake up, Youko wants to talk." Her response was cocooning in her cloak and giving him a concise groan. Sighing, the bat scooped up the bundle, carried her a little ways and handed her to her beseecher. The fox shook her slightly, "She sleeps like she's dead." He said to himself, "Ningen, wake up, we have to talk." He said in a very serious kind of way. Her head emerged from the cocoon, brows knit together, eyes sleepily half opened. "We are considering what to do with you, and I thought you might want a say in the matter." He steadied her on her feet as he spoke. Swaying for a moment, she looked at him to give him her full attention.

"You are in Reikai, a place where humans are rare, and not always welcome. It's dangerous for the weak, and timid, though not _nearly _as hostile as Makai. The way I see it, you have every right to go back to your own land," his eyes dimmed from their usual glow when he said this. "But if you would rather stay here, you are welcome to our place." He smiled at her. 

She stared at the floor, 'Go back? What is left for me at home? I'm not hated, but not really wanted, either. I don't suppose any one would miss me. I have no real friends, but I have my father. He never really said he loves me…but smiled at me often. He associates with _dreadful_ looking men, though. It's dangerous _here_, but I trust Kurama; Koronue might not but as cheerful with me, but I could get used to him. I'm taking my chances, I'm staying.' 

Holding her head high again, she seized the two in the biggest hug she could manage. Koronue gasped for air, "That means she is staying, right?" Youko laughed, "Is it true?" a furious nod confirmed. "Good, I have a gift for you." He handed her a green bundle and shooed her into a spare room. Unfolding the green cloth, she laughed softly. Youko _had_ gotten her some clothes, to say the least. It looked like some thing Tinker Bell would wear.

Trying it on, she discovered it fit her very well. Dark green leggings covered her legs, with golden yellow swirling bands around her ankles. The light green tunic was hemmed in the jagged Tinker Bell style, and held onto her top with golden yellow straps. Over the tunic was a darker transparent fabric that covered her shoulders and went down an inch beyond her fingers. Cloth bracelets wrapped around her wrists to keep the fabric from slipping up if her arms were raised, and a V shaped gold belt held onto her waist to keep the tunic and over cloth from coming up. (This out fit rocks.) She was given a modest pair of leather shoes similar to Youko's. 'Did he measure me in my sleep? Everything fits.' She thought looking the out fit over in the mirror. Feeling a little silly, she poked her head out the door cautiously.     

"Well, what do you think?" the fox looked anxious. Opening the door all the way, Tou-Kou cocked an eyebrow and gave him a scrutinizing look. "Youko, she looks like a fairy or something." Koronue covered his eyes discomfited. The fox lowered his eyes, obviously hurt. Tou-Kou raised his chin, smiling shyly, and then raised her eyebrow again at the black winged demon. Koronue got told.

The fox cleared his throat professionally. "If you want to stay with us, you must be aware we are not exactly perfect." Koronue decided to join in, seeing as the fox was sugarcoating things. "We're bandits, we steal, and sometimes kill. We're legends." Tou-Kou blinked in surprise. 'Bandits? Oh, my!'

Youko winced when his partner spoke so bluntly. "Yes, we are law-breakers; that how we make a living." Tou-Kou shrugged it off; she did not want to show any emotion to that comment. Pacing back and forth, the fox thought about something that had plagued his mind since last night. "I was hoping you would become our protégé. At least come with us, to get out of the hide-out now and then; like I said, Reikai is dangerous and our hide-out has to be a secret."

Tou-Kou had to sit down; this was too much. Be bad, but they acted so good to her, or at least Kurama did. If Reikai was so dangerous, not many good job options were available. Koronue stood in the background once again as the vulpine bandit bonded with the ningen stranger. "Are you alright with that? I mean, if you still want to go back, you can." He knelt before the girl; she took his hands and spoke with her eyes. 'I guess I could stay for a while, live a little of both worlds and choose between them.' All this information was somehow beamed into his brain, for he nodded, smiled and got hugged by her. Another pair of arms joined the two people. Koronue wrapped his wings around the three of them. "_I_ want in on the love, _too_. Not even _I_ can live with out _some_ affection!" v 

   Tou-Kou giggled and pinched his cheek, 'Get a girlfriend, you fruit.'

kinda short, sorry

R&R


	6. Lesson 1

Chapter 6

Lesson one: Never let down your guard. Always be aware of your surroundings; anything could pose a threat.

About a week had passed since the thieves welcomed Tou-Kou into their band. She practiced hiding from them and memorizing the maze-like halls. With each day, she got quieter, faster, and more skilled in the arts of a shy girl. Koronue offered to train her to defend herself, more than once. But the ningen was too slippery for even him to handle.

"Youko, have you seen the ningen around here?"

"Mmm." Youko shrugged, "She may have run away." he joked. Koronue suddenly had a weird feeling someone was watching him. Widening his sensing range, he tried to feel for her reiki, but hers was too small to pinpoint. Plus, he had a hunch the fox was blocking hers with his own. Great.

He blinked; he felt a draft on his head. Reaching up, the black bandit discovered his hat was missing. Not just any of his six identical black hats, his lucky hat. His _favorite_ hat. Reaching for his scythes out of instinct and anger, he found they were gone too. (It was a conspiracy, I tells ya'.) Even his precious pendant was gone. "Where's that ningen?" He was ready to let it slide with his scythes, maybe scold her for his hat, but no one, not even _Youko_ touched his pendant. He would kill her.

"Use her name, she is a person too." Youko busied himself with a vase Koronue had smashed the first night Tou-Kou came to them.

"Her name is Potential Murder Victim."

Youko laughed and called out into the hideout so Tou-Kou could hear, "Go easy on him, girl, we need him to lift heavy things!"

"I'll kill her."

"You'd better not!" a soft growl emitted from Youko. Koronue stomped away angrily. When he was out of earshot, and reiki sensing, he felt a nimble hand on his shoulder. Turning, he found Tou-Kou wearing said hat, and equipped with said scythes and pendant. "Where were you?" he took the pendant and hid it within the folds of his cloak to ensure her life's safety. She gestured to the ceiling above the door, where the frame was wide enough for her to balance on. "Toes hurt?" She nodded. "You'd better hide or give those back, he's ready to kill you." Smiling, she took off down the hall.

Tou-Kou followed Koronue as carefully as she could, placing the stolen objects back on his person when he could not see or hear her. She had replaced his hat when he spun around and grabbed her wrist, she gave a yelp and tried to pull it away; it was the injured wrist. His grip was like steel, and his gaze was even harder. 

"Youko has a crush on you, other wise, he would not have spared your life." He said bluntly. Tou-Kou cocked her head, questioningly. "I know because he paid for that out fit instead of stealing it." He gestured to her green tunic. She blushed.

 "He swore of having a lover long ago, but something about you has already weakened him, _a lot_. I advise you not to let him know if you like him back; he has been through so many women that hurt him, and he ended up killing or abandoning them. It would be a shame for so good a protégé to be just another line on his wall. Plus, it's a nuisance for me, he doesn't think straight, or plan anything properly. If either of us have to go through that kind of turmoil again, I'll have to kill you." He said the last part in almost a playful kind of way, ruffling her waves and nudging her away. She couldn't tell if he was serious or not about killing her, but she did not want to find out.

another shortie, sorry. Next one is really long

R&R


	7. Lesson 2

Chapter 7

Lesson 2: Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.

Koronue was sure he had scared Tou-Kou; his intent had been to warn her. Now she was avoiding him and hiding a lot more than usual. It had only been two days, and he had not seen her since he spoke with her. He began to worry, though he knew not what for. Many times when he asked his friend where she was, Youko had rarely seen her. Youko said sometimes he would see her shadow, or a flash of her hair as she darted around, evading them. 

Koronue ignored her, while Youko was puzzled. "Why is she so afraid of us all of a sudden? What could she have heard or seen to terrify her so?" the fox mused.

"I have no idea." he lied, " Now, should we go for the mirror or the crossbow? The mirror is not as difficult to obtain, but the crossbow is very nice."

"You and your weapons-fetish. I like the mirror better; how about we go for both?" they were discussing a robbery they wished to carry out. A beautiful antiques mirror and an enchanted crossbow were part of a museum. Both were very valuable. The museum was heavily guarded with a futuristic security system only Koenma himself could design. 

"Alright, but just to make it interesting, _you _go for the crossbow and _I _will steal the mirror. You're skill as a fighter is slipping, so should you get caught, you could do with some exercise." Koronue teased. The fox wrinkled his nose and glared. "Are you saying I would get caught?"

"No, but you do like to personalize your thefts, which almost always attract attention from guards."

"So you're calling me a show-off?"

"Basically, but isn't that what friends do? Tell each other when they screw up?"

"Alright, alright, get off your soap-box. I go for the crossbow; you go for the mirror; _and_ the first one back to the hide out gets to keep his treasure of choice while the other must get rid of his own."

"Nani? That doesn't sound fair!"

"Hai, hai, but things are beginning to pile up around here. We ought to get rid of some of this junk."

"Very well, we start at…"

"Dusk." 

Youko did not bother trying to contact Tou-Kou to alert her he was going away; she tried to avoid them anyway. The two bandits set out at dusk together, and then went separately when they reached the Museum. The fox snuck in through a locked door, Koronue broke through the skylight.

The two were going in different directions; Youko was going down stairs into the underground rooms; Koronue's target was on the top floor. Big clumsy guards, hired only for show, strutted around the shadowy halls. Light sensitive laser traps guarded the floors around more valuable exhibits. Youko snuck down the stairs, two at a time, listening carefully. He came to the room where the crossbow was kept; it was shielded by a chain-ladder curtain that was locked into the floor during the night hours. Pulling a seed from behind his right ear, he feed a tiny strand of reiki into it; there were sensors that detected strong spiritual energy around him. The tiny sprout in his hand wriggled violently, gnashing a tiny set of teeth, a miniature Shokuyou butsu. (Death tree.) Carefully moving the sprout between the chain ladder bars, the little plant's saliva began to eat away at the metal.

The process of melting an opening big enough for him to fit through was agonizingly slow, because the Shokuyou butsu was so small. After the sizzling had stopped, Youko made the plant regress back to its seed again, containing it in a harmless shell. 

He crawled through the hole and trekked forward. He guessed the janitor was off duty; the floor was caked with dust. Little clouds of it swirled around his feet as he moved. 'Isn't there supposed to be a light trap right here?' he could not see where it was. Lifting his foot sharply, a whirlwind billowed around his ankles; the dust caught the laser light in the trap. 'Koenma really is an idiot,' he lifted his foot to step over the light trap, sending more dust up into his face. The dust caught even more light traps; they were not just on the floor, they were everywhere.

  Koronue found it rather easy to find his target; he just followed the line of other ugly works of art. His ears twitched at the sound of a guard's footsteps. He hid in the shadows, swinging his red pendulum. The guard came around the corner, Koronue stepped out in front of him. The guard opened his mouth to speak, but Koronue began to swing his pendulum, hypnotizing him. The guard's mouth hung open lazily, his eyes drooped. 

"Listen to me, obey my commands; fetch me that mirror with your own hands." The Bat demon murmured his spell. The guard shuffled sleepily to the mirror's exhibit, deactivated the alarm, unlocked the glass case and pulled it out. He turned around and walked slowly back, leaving the glass case unlocked, and hanging open. Presenting the treasure to him, Koronue twirled the pendulum's chain around his hand, finishing his trick, "Remember naught of my bandit team, and wake up when you hear a scream." He casually walked away from the guard, leaving him drooling in stupor. He was about to make his exit when he felt a familiar reiki flit up and down. He allowed himself to laugh softly; his friend was having trouble.

Youko had suspended himself from the ceiling with some very strong vines. They crisscrossed across the room to form a tight net over the crossbow display. Digging his claws into the ceiling tiles, he scooted along in the net, positioning himself directly over the glass casing. Concentrating very hard, he made the vines fall around the casing, lift it up, and then extract the weapon from within. He only took a breath when he had the crossbow in his hand. Moving back toward the entrance to the exhibit, he froze, a guard was coming. His clunking footsteps echoed in the empty hallway. 

The fox thought for a second; he raised the crossbow and prepared to shoot him, but then he remembered Koronue berating him about being a show off. Mentally snarling, he aimed to the left and shot out the dim light in the room. The cross bow's arrow silently extracted itself from the wall and replaced itself in the crossbow shaft. 'Oooh! I like this thing too!' The guard strolled into view, carrying a walkie-talkie. He was built like a mountain, tall and thick. He stopped in front of the room and peered in. 

'Please, don't notice me, please don't notice me!!' he thought, folding his ears to his head, and then he noticed the hole in the chain ladder curtain. 'Oh, no-please don't notice the hole in the chain curtain!' Apparently, the guard wasn't very smart. His walkie-talkie squawked some indiscernible garble; the guard muttered something in reply with a gravely voice. 'What does that mean? What did he say?' The fox stopped breathing. The guard stared hard at the dark room, put his hand on his nightstick, and then slowly walked away.

Tou-Kou watched the bandits leave. She was all alone now. Flopping down on a couch, she sighed and stared at the ceiling. Her eyes became heavier and heavier; she fell asleep. The lamps burned out around the hideout. Everything was dim and shadowy. A loud thumping jolted her out of her sleep.

She sat up; the thumping was coming from the front door. Many harsh voices were shouting, "Bring the crowbar, this door is locked tight!" She gasped; the hide out was about to be raided. Scrambling up from the couch, she reached into her tunic collar and pulled out the skeleton key to the hide out. Running franticly through the labyrinth of halls, she locked every door she could get to. A splintering crack made her jump, she ran down a hallway that was only accessible through a door and locked it. Many pairs of feet thundered in the halls. 

"Hey, I smell a human in here, boss! It's a female." 

"Find her and I'll give you the first pick of meat tonight, Spoonz!"

A fist rammed through the door behind her, she was sprinting down the corridor, her necklace bouncing off her chest, slamming doors left and right, trying to through him off her trail. Tou-Kou locked her self in the basements; she looked around for anything that could help her. A shelf was hung above the doorway, littered with little glass objects. Tou-Kou yanked the shelf down, letting the glass objects shatter on the floor. She propped the board up against the doorknob to barricade it; then clambered up onto the shelf supports with a random cartoon-sized mallet. 

Spoonz busted through the door after a few moments of tracking her down. He was a heavily built ogre with a single horn sticking out of his bald head, other than that, he was just plain ugly. He flung the shattered door fragments to the side. Sniffing deeply, he tried to locate her. "Where are you, little wretch?" Tou-Kou swung the mallet as hard as she could, the mallet make a dull _whack _against his skull; he crumpled to the ground. Hoisting the mallet up onto her shoulder, she waited for the next robber.

Youko hurried back out of the museum; his act was flawless, they guards were clueless of him ever being there. He wanted to wait for his friend but he remembered the wager they placed and sped away. He stopped when he reached the forest near the hideout. The breeze was in his face, he smelled it, but did not find his partner's scent on it. Waving his tail in a superior sort of way, he raced through the trees. 

Koronue wasted no time exiting the museum through the broken skylight. He was about to jump over the edge of the roof when a sentry turned his way. "Halt! Who goes there?" Koronue was standing in the shadows; he could reach his pendulum if he put the mirror down, but the mirror would reflect the light and attract unwanted attention. His only options were to drop the mirror or to remain perfectly still. He stood still as a statue; the sentry searched the shadows with his eyes. He took a step toward Koronue, his gaze calculating, piercing his very soul. He reached out to Koronue, his fingers inching closer to his face, then his walkie-talkie blinked with a red light. The sentry swung the ridiculous gadget to his ear; it was turned way lower than the internal guards' walkie-talkies so he could remain stealthy.

"No trouble up here, perimeter is secured…10-4, over and out." The sentry turned and walked around another way. Koronue breathed again, and fled. He stood on the edge of the roof, a silver flash shot out on the ground in front of him. "Youko, you will not ride if me so easily."

He spread his wings and joined the race.

  Tou-Kou sat a little awkwardly on the shelf supports, she had knocked three robbers out so far. The four was too short to be reached at her height. He was a snake-like man, with a lisp in his voice because he had ridiculously angled fangs. "Over here, Bo'th! Three of ours are out cold, and the female'th thent ith th'trong here." He spat as he talked. A taller robber walked in, he seemed to be made of rough-cut granite. His voice was even more gravel-like than his skin. "Find her, Scales. I want her alive; she could fetch a pretty penny if she really is a human."

With a high shriek, Scales yanked her from her perch. His clawed hands cut into her skin, "Right here, Bo'th!" Boss took her from Scales' grip. His huge hand went all the way around her waist; he was like a giant. "Pretty little wench, well done, Scales." Boss tossed as bag to Scales nearly as big as the little man. From the way it jingled, she guessed it was full of money. 

Tou-Kou banged her fists futilely against Boss' arm. "Now, now, don't be like that." He squeezed on her waist, invoking a cry of pain. She was carried to the entrance of the hide out; another little demon raced up to Boss. "_Him _is returning, sir! What do we do?" he squeaked

"Be sure to give _Him _a proper greeting, 'honor among thieves,' as thy say." Boss said. Tou-Kou started to cry, she was scared, and her ribs were hurting. The sound of bombs going off blared in her ears, cries of panic followed. "The Shokuyou butsu!! Don't let it touch you, blow it up!!" more screams followed. "It's _Him_!! Run!!" 

Tou-Kou craned her head to see who _'Him' was_. A shadowy image of writhing branches blocked the glowing silver figure at its base. Horrible sounds were brought to her ears, she was thankful it was not daylight. Boss held her tightly, "_He's _not getting this onna! I worked too hard to find this place." Tou-Kou cried out again. The bell around her neck jingled wildly. She tried desperately to pry his fingers off of her. With unmatchable strength, his hand twisted horribly out of shape, she was free. Her pendant began to glow. Making a mad dash, Tou-Kou went in the direction of the forest, being careful not to run into the monstrous creature called the Shokuyou butsu. None of the robbers appeared to be spared, especially not Boss. Running for a score of yards, she rammed into an invisible wall in the dark. "Ningen?" a familiar voice said. It was Koronue. He pulled her to her feet, "Where's Youko? I heard explosions!" her vision dimmed, 'Youko, what's a youko?' her ribs were throbbing. He led her back to the battle-scene, where the screams had stopped and the smell of gore and burning flesh was profuse. The bat held her back for a minute, the tree was still feeding, and it might grab them if they got too close. Hiding her eyes from the carnage in Koronue's vest, she cried miserably. He looked down at her, unused to such emotions, and slowly began to pat her shoulders. "It's okay… Tou-Kou, don't be afraid."

When the tree was put back in it's shell, Youko noticed his friend was there. He seemed so cold and ruthless. His gaze drifted to Tou-Kou, she looked over her shoulder at him; her eyes were shiny and wide with fear. His own eyes bored into hers before his expression melted away and was replaced with worry. She turned around to face him fully, but her eyes would not leave the ground. "Are you hurt, Tou-Kou?" he noticed her rubbing her ribs gingerly. Her cheeks turned pink again, she met his gaze. He came closer, and took her hands. "You're shaking. Koronue, let's go inside." The fox picked her up and followed his friend into the hideout. 

"Well, most of the stuff we wanted to get rid of is gone now!" Koronue laughed wryly. "I wonder of they got into my room…" Tou-Kou pulled the skeleton key out of her collar and waved it in front of his face playfully. Not too long after he retrieved it from her, she fell fast asleep in Youko's arms. "You _do_ have your uses, ningen." 

R&R


	8. Lesson 3

Chapter 8 Lesson 3: Never let them see you sweat. Part 1

Darkness. No light. No sound. Light; a shaft of golden yellow beamed down from an unknown source. A shivering figure lay on the ground in the light; the little ningen girl. Tou-Kou looked up at the light, annoyed that it disturbed her sleep. She heard a deep voice she knew. The man, who had given her the bell pendant, came into the light. He smiled proudly, "You have done well, my child. Your spirit is strengthening every day." He helped her to her feet. 

"Who are you?"

"I can't tell you yet, not until you find your other half."

"What does that mean?"

"According to the rules between worlds, nothing I say may be easy to understand, but you are a smart girl and a clever one too." His face suddenly became grave, "The greatest trials have yet to be faced. Be strong, for your sake as well as _his."_

She wondered who _he _was. The tall man interrupted her thoughts, "I will be able to see you again in the real world, but you may not trust the forms I come in. you must be aware of all around you. That is your first test….

Tou-Kou, 

Tou-Kou,

_Tou-Koushin!!_

Someone was shaking her awake. Her eyes opened. Koronue's sparkly black eyes pierced her sleepy gaze, making her focus. "Wake up, it's time for training today." She looked confused at him. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes, yawned, and then fell over again. "No, no, get up, we have a lot of work today." The bat pulled her to her feet and pushed her gently down the hall. Something warm and steamy was put in her hands, "Hurry up and eat. Meet me outside when you are done." He faded out of her blurry vision. Tou-Kou began to eat, she did not know what it was in her current state, but she didn't care. 

After an eternity, she stumbled outside into the nighttime air. Youko was already up and about. It was not night, but very early morning. Youko laughed at the dizzy girl. "Come on, wake up. Koronue and I are going to start training you to fight. After that little raid last night, I realized you couldn't stay alone anymore if you can't defend yourself."

She nodded half-heartedly. "Follow us through those woods there, when you reach the other side, we will start with basic defense; ready? Go!" the fox and the winged demon flitted off faster than Tou-Kou could blink away sleep. She groaned and trudged forward, with her head hanging lazily. The forest she went through was not the monster filled defense line that Youko and Koronue had made, but a natural work of beauty by the earth itself. There was a clear path, but she couldn't keep awake enough to see it. A dim gray glow lit up the wood. The sun was rising. 

Koronue paced impatiently. "Is she crawling? We didn't go that fast, did we?" his companion was pulling up random blades of grass idly. "I don't know how fast she can go, or how strong she is. I planned to get the feel of her abilities in this first lesson."

"Maybe we should look for our pupil, before she gets lost or something." And by 'we' of course he meant 'Youko.'

The fox nodded and stood up. "Lets go find her, "he sighed.

The little dell seemed so comfortable and inviting; surrounded by tall thick trees and lined with fresh morning glories. Tou-Kou had lay down on the soft grass and dropped right off. About an hour had passed since she fell asleep. The sun was off of the horizon's edge and glaring brightly at her. She opened one eye, glaring back at the sun; giving her fiercest growl, she batted cutely in the general direction of the offensive light as if she could knock it away. She rolled over lazily, stretched, and went back to sleep. 

The soothing roar of a nearby river drowned the very soft footsteps of an animal out. This creature was a silver fox, shining gloriously in the golden sunrise. He was following a less-than direct trail; it wobbled back and forth across the path, circling various trees several times before leading to a small hollow in a circle of trees. The fox padded softly to the over to the inhabitant of the hollow, put his nose very close to the sleeper's ear and barked very loudly.

Tou-Kou jerked violently out of sleep. Her eyes snapped open, the silver fox sat expectantly in front of her. Glaring hotly, she covered her eyes with her arm and curled into a ball. He barked again, no response. He tugged on her sleeve growling impatiently. Yielding, she sat up and groaned. 'Baka kitsune.' She thought standing up. He leaned his head on the back of her knees, commanding her to walk. Stomping forward, she grumbled nonsensical syllables until the forest was behind her.

Koronue was still pacing in the same spot when she came into view. Tou-Kou was wide-awake, pulling leaves out of her hair. "You certainly wasted enough time, we'll have to compensate now." He said. Looking very innocent, she twirled her hair and looked at the ground. Youko returned to his two-legged form, "The first test is how fast you can run. When I say go, you race Koronue over to that tall pine tree over there. Ready? Go!" The bat demon easily outstripped her, but she still made good distance for time. "Not bad, ningen, but not fast enough. Next test, how strong you are." He held her hands, lacing their fingers together. She blushed absent-mindedly.

"I'm going to push on your hands, you tell me when you can't push back any more." He tried to go easy on her, because she was a girl, and a mere human; she fell backwards before he even gave any effort. Youko helped her up. "The last test, how coordinated you are." The fox gave her a wooden stick, slightly wider at one end. "We're basically going to throw rocks at you, and you hit as many of them back as you can." She snickered; this was a little anti-climactic.  

"Ready?" She nodded. The bandits lightly tossed stones to her, each stone half the size of a fist. This was the test she mastered. She swatted each stone back to its owner, nearly hitting them. She managed to graze Koronue's shoulder before they (and by 'they' I mean Koronue.) decided to stop. "You have passed one of three tests, not good." The fox took the stick-of-death away from her. "I shall train you in speed, Koronue shall train you in strength, and when you have mastered both subjects, we shall take you with us on a practice mission." 

She pouted; she really was weak. Koronue stepped forward, "Shall I go first?" he asked his companion. Youko nodded. Tou-Kou ran and hid behind the fox, pleading with her eyes. "He won't eat you, I promise. Would you feel safer if I stayed while you worked with him?" the fox pried her nails out of his shoulders. She nodded feverishly before rejoining her 'teacher.'

"Okay, first step..."

R&R


	9. Lesson 4

Chapter 9

Lesson 4: If at first you don't succeed, try try again.

Sounds of wood on wood echoed in the remote forest. Shouts of encouragement mixed with laughter and a small number of short screams. In a clearing deep in the forest, away from prying eyes, the grass had been worn short, but sprang back sturdily. Many weeks had passed since the beginning of training.

"Don't back away so much; you can never defeat an opponent if you run from him." Koronue instructed. The ningen had undergone brutal exercises day in and day out. Trekking through the wilderness, learning to sleep in trees, and of course, how to fight. Koronue thought it was necessary to teach her to kill, but Youko stated she was too pure for thoughts like that and put his foot/paw down.

Tou-Kou was practicing using a wooden staff. She was improving at an incredible rate, but she was still decorated along her backside with pretty bruises. Koronue taught with wisdom and care, but no mercy. They held their staffs like swords and dueled. "Keep your thumbs straight along the staff, never wrapped around; you know that already!" he made a move as if to behead her if he had a real sword, but she countered, knocking it away and almost 'stabbed' him in the stomach. With a swishing flick of his wrists, he knocked her staff away from her; it flew several yards out of her hands. The bat made another move to 'slice' her down the middle; she stepped in the edge of his staff, driving it into the ground, pulled a wooden dagger from behind her and held it to his throat.

"Good, very good; always prepared for your opponent, very resourceful." Koronue put his staff down, "I'm bushed. Time for a break." She agreed by sitting down heavily. Youko clapped from his spot in a tree, "You really have improved, Tou-Kou. When we first started, he could knock you right through a tree, now you can almost knock _him _into a tree!"

She smiled proudly, then slipped back into her shy ways and blushed behind her hair. "Your turn, fox, I think I pulled something when she jumped on my staff." Koronue rubbed his shoulder.

 "Whiner, she isn't that heavy."

"Hai, but her legs are strong."

"So? You were going easy on her because she's just a girl!" Tou-Kou shot him a glare behind her waves but he wasn't looking.

"What does being a girl have to do with it?"

"Females are weaker, that's what." Big mistake there; indignantly, Tou-Kou stood up and punched him in the stomach as hard as she could. He made a 'hooof!' sound and fell over, holding his middle. She stomped away angrily and sat under a tree with her arms crossed and her head on her knees. Koronue started to laugh, "You _really _should not have said that!!" a few minutes after he got his breath back, Youko walked calmly over to where Tou-Kou was sitting.

"Is there something you wish to communicate to me?" he said dangerously. She didn't move. "I'm talking to _you!" _he kicked her foot. She looked up and gave him a look that said, 'You know damn well what you said and why I hit you.' She stood up and walked away again. He stopped by grabbing her shoulder; forcing her to face him, "If you need to say something, just say it. Pummeling me may make you feel better, but I can't tell what it is that made you want to beat the crap out of me."

"Remember, she doesn't speak to us? But I can fill you in-" Koronue began.

"What can you say that she can't?"

"She obviously feels insulted by that remark you made about her being the weaker sex. Am I right?" She nodded; she felt hurt, but there were no tears in her eyes this time. She had not cried since the raid.

Youko sighed and wrapped her in his arms suddenly. "Well, then, I sincerely apologize. You _are _made of tough stuff; I have a bruise to prove it." She squirmed and gave a short chuckle; she forgave him. He leaned his forehead on hers, "I have a lot to learn about female companionship; what and what not to say or get beaten up by someone smaller than I." This made her laugh softy.

Then something happened; they were lost in each other's gazes. Green reflected gold, and gold reflected green. Somewhere deep in their minds a new bond was formed and blazed fiercely in their bodies. They could feel each other's breath and almost taste each other's scents. Tou-Kou blushed fiercely; she could feel someone else's eyes on her.

"Are you two going to kiss or what?" Youko snapped out of the trance and let his hands fall off her.

"Shut up, Koronue."

"What? You two looked all lovey-dovey and went goo-goo when you looked at each other."

"I don't know what you are talking about." He stated hotly; he seized Tou-Kou's hand and dragged her away. "Time for your speed training." She looked back at Koronue shaking his head. Youko took her to the riverside and sat down on a rock. "Stupid Koronue doesn't know what he's talking about!" Ignoring the ranting fox, Tou-Kou put her hands in the river and washed off.

Her thoughts went back to what Koronue had said. Did she really look hypnotized? 'Hai, I was lost for a moment, probably just because he has such strange eyes. But why would he be staring at _me_ so hard?' her thoughts were interrupted by a cool purr beside her. "You're so cute when you concentrate, what are you thinking about?" she jumped, she had completely forgotten about him. She stared at the river for a while. The fox concentrated on her, mainly her lips; they had attracted his full attention once again.  

'Yummy, must taste.' He leaned close to her face; suddenly she leaned forward and pulled a rock out of the river. His nose collided with the dirt where she once sat. Rubbing his nose gingerly, he watched her examine the shiny river stone. 'Damn it, thwarted by a rock.' He glared daggers at the innocent rock. Tou-Kou tossed her find back into the river. She sighed and leaned back on a tree trunk, closing her eyes. Folding his ears back thoughtfully, the fox began to strategize his approach. He stared hard at the girl, listing possible techniques in his head.

Take her by surprise; no she might try her new fighting moves, thinking I'm attacking her. Take her somewhere romantic and work some Youko Mojo; no, she doesn't swing like that. I have a sore cheek to prove that. Talk to her and let her know how I feel. Yeah! Females like a fox with feelings! Women are such suckers! 

He scooted forward and sat next to her. "Tou-Kou, I have to tell you something important." He began. In Tou-Kou's current state of drowsiness, she only heard his voice as a droning sound with brief pauses. He clasped his hands together as if to reach some delicate subject. He breathed a deep sigh, and gathered his courage. "Over the past few weeks I've felt a sort of bond grow between us. You and I have become good friends; but I-" he stopped suddenly. A soft sound made his ears snap forward, she was snoring softly; she was asleep. He sweat dropped. Then, she fell over side ways, the side of her head landing neatly in his lap. Content with a suitable pillow, she did not move and continued sleeping.

Thirty shades of red glowed from the fox's cheeks. He hung his head; he bored her. 'Why do you have to be so innocent? I can never talk to you seriously.' He stared at her as she slept; her long bangs were in her face. He stopped and considered what might happen if her brushed them away. She was a light sleeper, but she had not been getting enough sleep lately; her training started very early every morning and deprived her of what sleep humans needed. His long fingers moved on their own accord and strummed through her bangs gently. Twitching his nose, he gathered her scent. Her distinct aroma made his tail bristle excitedly. Being very careful not to wake her, he scooped the ningen into his arms and held her close to him. His fingers moved across her face, tracing her features, touching her faint freckles. She looked so peaceful; then he stared at her lips again. 'Pink, plush, perfect.' He couldn't help himself, his face lowered to hers, closer, closer…

  Tou-Kou took a sharp breath and opened her eyes. She awoke from her nap to see Youko's face very close to her own. He froze, eyes wide. Gold reflected green; green reflected gold. She sat up, facing forward. He blushed, folding his ears back shamefully. "Sorry, I- uh…" he blushed even darker, knowing she would not respond. She stood up and walked away from him, disappearing down the path. 'You've fucked up now, fox, you've fucked up.'

Tou-Kou walked slowly back to the training field, thinking about what had happened. She knew Youko was falling for her. Why? She didn't know, but Koronue's warning rung in her ears. 'If either of us have to go through that kind of turmoil again, I'll have to kill you.' That brought a shudder. She could not get involved with him, she did not want to die, but she mostly did not want to hurt him. But feeling her heartbeat in sync to his was magical. Tou-Kou smiled, caressing her own face as he did. She had probably crushed him when she walked away. She frowned and let her hand fall, returning to the thought of breaking away. She never spoke, how could she tell him?

While she had stopped to lean against a tree, Youko had followed her back to the training grounds, talking to himself. "What did I do? I was gentle, understanding enough to know what she wants to say with out speaking, and honest to her. I really care about her, but- I have to know more…" he walked past her tree, not noticing her at all. She walked up behind him, making no noise like they had taught her. He sighed and shook his head; she watched his silky hair fall across his shoulders. He sniffed, he sniffed again; he recognized that intoxicating smell, he turned and jumped. He had not expected her to be behind him. "Tou-Kou, what-"

She put her finger on his lips, "Shhh…" he looked confused. She put her fingers over his eyes, closing them. He held onto her wrists questioningly, she held his head and kissed him passionately. His eyes flicked open for a moment, and then fell closed again. Pressing her closer, the fox deepened the kiss; at the same time his hands had a mind of their own again. His heart beat in sync with hers; he began to purr into the kiss. She began to let go, but he held her tighter. She had to turn her head away to break the kiss. Breathing heavily for a moment, they stood still, hands at rest, heads unmoving. He looked at her, his golden eyes aglow. He leaned closer to kiss her again, but her finger went to his lips again. She shook her head sadly and let him go. 'No, no more, ever again.'

Tou-Kou turned and ran down the path, past the training grounds, through the forest again, and to the hide out. Koronue stood outside as if waiting for her. He had an expression like he was going to lecture her, but said nothing. She leaned on the doorframe and stared at the ground. Koronue sighed, "He's fallen for you." She nodded, sinking to the ground.

"Do you like him back?" she started to shake her head, but stopped, looked up to him and shrugged. "That's not good." She banged her head on the doorframe repeatedly. "Hai, you screwed up big time." She glared, and then looked like she would cry. He knelt to her level and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Believe me when I say I know how you feel." She knit her brow, confused. "I don't want to talk about it." he said, almost reading her thoughts again. She sighed and went inside, avoiding all signs of life for the rest of the day.


	10. Lesson 5

Chapter 10    

Lesson 5: Look before you leap.

About a week had passed since the 'incident' between Youko and Tou-Kou. Both had forgotten about it and became their friendly selves again. One day, Koronue and Youko teamed up and promised to teach the ningen about reiki.

"You have trained long and hard to even get to this point; what can I say? You've made us proud, ningen girl. I think you are ready to start controlling your own reiki." Koronue paced back and forth in front of her. She gave him a questioning look, "Reiki?" she said. Her voice was high but strong, and her accent was strange to them.

O.o O.o

"She talked!" the bat jumped up and down, the fox did a happy dance, "She spoke! Finally! Why don't you ever speak?"

"I'm shy, and I don't think what I have to say is relevant."

"You lack confidence." Koronue said and let the silence ring.

"What's reiki?"  

"Energy created by your spirit. It can be used as a weapon. We have complete control over ours and we each use it in different ways; my forte is manipulating plants." He pulled out his rose and made the rose whip. Koronue took out his red pendant, "I use hypnotism and illusions."

"Hypnotism doesn't work." she scoffed. He frowned, "Want to bet on that?" swinging the pendant, she followed it with her eyes. After a few seconds, she started to drool and fell over.  8D

He laughed; she sat up and wiped her chin off. "Today you will learn how to conjure your reiki, then later learn what your expertise will be."

"How long could that take?"

"Years at most." O.o "lets' get started."

Tou-Kou sat in a meditating position with her eyes closed; she was all-alone, right in the thick of the forest. 'I'm supposed to find my center, without thinking about anything at all, like a stone. How can I think and not think…this is nice, it's like dreaming, except I can pick what I dream about. This is kind of fun.' 

Thwack!

"Ouch!" a rock had collided with her head. She rubbed her temple gingerly. 'Oops. I guess I shouldn't be dreaming, or thinking…' she stayed very still and continued to find her center. She could almost feel the presence of the forest, the rocks and the trees and the grass. With her eyes closed, she could hear and smell ten times better. A little stinkbug was eating a piece of grass a few feet away from her. A bird was preening its feathers in a tree behind her. A strange presence was also behind her. She wondered what it was, and then remembered she was not permitted to think.

A stone flew toward her head; she leaned her head back and easily dodged it. The strange presence was moving closer; she felt a bead of sweat slip down her forehead. Her heart beat faster, her muscles tightened. The presence was dangerously close; her hands were clasped so tight her knuckles turned white. The bead of sweat dropped from her forehead; before it hit the ground, she jumped and turned to face the presence.

Nothing was there.

She released her muscles and looked confused. She turned back around, with her gaze over her shoulder; when she turned back forward, she was plowed into the grass by a white blur. She gave a shriek; her hands twitched and glowed. She shoved back at the assailant and drove him into a tree. Youko fell down and groaned. Koronue stepped out form behind a tree. "Manifestation of reiki into a weapon, very nice." Tou-Kou stood up and looked at her hands, the glow surrounding them was quickly fading. She frowned.

"Not bad; your reaction to fear triggered a response." The fox stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Try to make that energy again, focus on what it felt like and try to make it comeback." Koronue instructed. Nodding, she stared at her hands and concentrated. Tou-Kou could almost make out her own energy again, but it vanished as soon as it came. "I can't." she said.

"You're trying too hard; give it a while."

"I'm tired!"

"Your reiki isn't used to being used. Sit down a while, it might regenerate if its strong enough."

"Will I be pounced again?"

"Maybe, maybe not, we might try something else." He laughed evilly. Shivering a bit, Tou-Kou took the meditating position and reluctantly closed her eyes. Awhile later, she began to doze lightly and let her head lean forward. She could not feel the presence any more.

A caterpillar crawled up her leg, she brushed it off, and a rock hit her in the head again. Growling, she became still again. She became aware of every thing around her again, a bug in the grass, a squirrel chewing a nut, a bird flying overhead. The presence suddenly was near her face; she opened her eyes and saw nothing again. Closing her eyes again, she still felt the presence. She tried not to shake or show any fear, but concentrating earned her another rock in the head. She knit her brows; a lump was forming on her head. The presence came nearer to her, it was real this time; she jumped and let her foot fly across someone's cheek. A low 'oof' was heard and a thud. She opened her eyes; Koronue lay on the ground. He stood up rubbing his cheek. "Your senses are too sharp when you have your eyes closed." He said. Pulling a long piece of cloth from his pocket and some strange pink stuff with it. "Put this scarf over your eyes, and then put this pink stuff in your ears. Your spirit awareness will get sharper if you can't use your other senses." He instructed. She obeyed and sat down again.

Tou-Kou could not hear anything, or see through the scarf. She felt exposed, but tried _not_ to _try_ to do anything or else another rock would grace her skull. She felt another presence near her, but it was different, scarier. Another popped up to her left, another behind her; they multiplied at an insane rate. The presences seemed to grow in strength by feeding off her fear. She could really feel one now, touching her neck; it was rough and stiff like bark. Quivering, she stayed still as she could. The presence withdrew; she relaxed a little. Her spirit awareness began to work properly; she could almost see things in her mind. Many waving things were around her; they seemed familiar. It struck her, the energy thieving thorns that had trapped her when she first came to reikai. They would suck away her energy if they touched her. She had to escape; she could already feel them trying to block off all escape routes.

Suddenly, a barbed tendril coiled around her ankle and jerked hard. She gave a scream and her reiki shot up like a rocket. The branch exploded trying to suck up all her energy, but what it was able to handle made the whole bush want more. She stood and walked backwards from the smoldering branch. She stumbled backwards; pulling off the blindfold and ear plugs, and landed in a spiked embrace. The bush was draining her as she screamed. Thinking quickly, she tried to make her reiki work, but that only made it go away. The bush, thinking it had gotten all the reiki it could, released her. She lay very still for several minutes, using her spirit awareness to watch the plant. When the bush had all but become still, she rolled over and made a break for it. Her plan proved in vain, the bush seized her around the waist and greedily sucked her precious reiki away. Her power was gone in seconds because she did not have much of it. She tried to sit up, but the thorns held her down; she tried again futile, then the branch seemed to disappear. She crawled forward with out trouble, but what ever was trying to touch her just went through her, taking little bits of energy with it. When she reached a place where the long branches could not reach, she collapsed and fainted.


	11. Lesson 6

Chapter 11

Lesson 6:There is no honor among thieves.

"Ne! Ne! Tou-Koushin! Wake up!" the fox shook a limp figure. She did not move or speak. "She is completely drained." Koronue said over his shoulder. "Is she dead Koronue?" the bat put his fingers around her pulse mark on her neck. "Her heart beat is slow, but steady. She just needs rest."

"That was pretty amazing, what she did."

"Hai, clever girl, that one; tricking it to think she wasn't there. It back fired, but she at least has _some_ control over her reiki."

"Lets quit for the day; who know how long she could be out cold?" the fox carried her back to the hideout, talking more about her reiki abilities. "What sort of weapon do you think she will make?"

"No way of telling for sure, but I can see her with a bow or a rei-gun; something light and graceful."

"I hope she is an earth sign, or a water."

"Looking for a match?" Koronue teased.

"Oh, stop it." The fox laughed. He laid Tou-Kou on a couch and left the room. His thoughts went back to Tou-Kou; he was planning her next training session. The bat stared at him; he seemed about to say something but stopped. Youko noticed him staring and stared back. "What?"

"Nothing."

A few hours later, Tou-Kou woke up. Youko said she was ready for her first mission. Koronue did not approve, but who listens to him anymore? "Start small," he warned, "don't get her killed because you want to test her skills."

"Ne! What does that mean? Trust me, I have just the thing." They two bandits lead her through the woods, to a village not far off. The plan was to steal from a bank. The sun was setting, making everything orange and yellow. Youko had worked his fox-craft on each of them, disguising their faces and clothes as beggars. Koronue led the way, Tou-Kou in the middle behind him, and Youko protected her from behind and kept any one off their trail. They each appeared to be dressed in old brown cloaks and wide brimmed hats.

They stood across the cobble stone street from the bank building. Low classed demons and apparitions went peacefully about their business around them. Koronue began to speak in a low tone, "Where do we go from here?" Youko twitched his ears uncomfortably under the hat.

"It would be easier to go in before it closes and hide until every one leaves, unless Tou-Kou thinks she can sneak in after the doors are locked." He winked at his student. " You said you would start small, fox." Koronue warned.

"What? She can be pretty sneaky when she wants to be."

"We're taking the easy way this time, her face isn't known in the world of crime, and I plan to keep it that way." Koronue stated firmly. His extravagant friend hissed at him, "Party pooper. Say, where is Tou-Kou?" Koronue looked around, he did not see her. "Where is she? She was here a moment ago,"

"Do you think she was kidnapped already?"

"No, there she is! She went ahead without us!" he pointed to the bank; sure enough, she was leaning casually against the door before she slipped inside. The two filed through the crowds in the street and entered the bank. Youko had to use his nose to find her, he was led into a lavatory, a men's lavatory. The door had been locked and a sign hung on the doorknob that read 'out of order.' Picking the lock was no task, as soon as he entered; he saw her sitting on the sink. "Tou-Kou! Are you crazy? Why did you leave us behind?" he whispered; his voice was magnified on the smooth tiled walls. Koronue took his disguise hat off to reveal his black hat. "It doesn't really matter now, she got in and found a place to hide." She smiled and crossed her arms. Youko took his hat of too; his fox-craft disguise disappeared. His tone became strict and his expression fierce. "That was reckless, never do that again, understand?"

Tou-Kou's smile faded quickly and she looked away from him in shame. He raised his voice to her, "Tou-Kou!"

"I UNDERSTAND!!" her voice dwarfed his own. He made a move as if to hit her; she jumped and ran away from him, locking her self in a stall. Youko leapt to follow her; Koronue grabbed the fox's arms and held him back. He shook his head at Youko, "She didn't know, she's new to this sort of thing." The fox glared angrily at the stall door as if he could set it aflame wit his gaze. His anger slowly ebbed away, he sighed. "I'm just worried about her."

The sun had descended into the horizon, the streets were empty, and so was the bank. Youko led the way out of the lavatory and into the lobby. This was a plain building with linoleum floors and a brick exterior. The smooth floors were kept shiny and clean, so shiny that one's entire reflection could be seen when looking down. Tou-Kou was very nervous, she did not want to disappoint Youko again, even though she was upset he had tried to hit her. "This bank doesn't have a mobile guard but it is always necessary to keep absolutely quiet; and out of sight." Youko interrupted her thoughts. In the center of the building, a long counter divided the area in half. On this counter were bars that would protect the clerks. Many bell shaped openings were cut into the bars to trade through.

Youko hopped up onto the counter, "Step one: infiltration. Lets see you get through here." He motioned to the bars. Tou-Kou clambered awkwardly onto the counter and examined the bars carefully. A friend of her father's was a skilled blacksmith; he allowed her to watch him work if she helped stoke the fires in his shop. She had but a little of his expertise, but that was all she needed. She walked back and forth across the bars, examining them carefully. She saw one she liked and tapped on it, it made a sound like shoddy craftsmanship; she grabbed a hold of it and wrenched it out of its place. She put the bar down and walked between the bars. Youko nodded approvingly and followed her.

 "Step two: penetrating obstacles; namely locks, seals, etcetera." He went on. Tou-Kou looked around and spied the vault. It had a big black pad lock on it. She thought for a moment and examined the lock's exterior. Made of wrought iron and rusty; she gave it a fruitless tug. She peered into the absurdly large keyhole; it looked rusty as well. She pulled a hook hidden in the hem of her tunic and stuck it in the keyhole. Fiddling around, she caught it on a spring and pulled as hard as she could. The spring snapped easily and the lock hung open. She took the lock off the door and set it to the side. The heavy door swung open with a groan, revealing the treasure with in it.

"Step three: choose something you like." Tou-Kou froze, 'Steal? Actually steal?' She didn't like the thought of committing a crime. She thought back to Youko being angry with her, she shuddered and looked into the vault. Several neat stacks of coins took up much of the space, but here and there was a jewel or a pretty weapon, mere baubles. She saw a case in the back of mahogany wood and gold leaf; some invisible force drew her hands to it and made her choose it. She took this box and turned back to Youko.

"Good. Step four: cover your tracks." He turned and went out through the missing bar. Closing the vault again, she joined Youko and Koronue in the lobby after replacing the misplaced bar. "Not bad, but we aren't finished yet. This last step is the most important, make a clean get away." Koronue nodded. Tou-Kou put her hat back on and tucked the box into her cloak. She looked at the front door but decide against using it. No windows were visible that were big enough to fit through. Then she remembered something, when she was training with her spirit energy. She escaped from the thorns somehow…

Facing a wall near the door she took a deep breath and ran. The wall looked pretty solid, it felt solid too, and she landed on the floor with a sore head and shoulder. "What in the three worlds are you doing?" Koronue and Youko leaned over her. Rubbing her forehead, she stood up. "What are you doing now?" Koronue asked. She started to run again, faster than before. "Tou-Kou, stop! What are you doing!?" She focused in the bricks-of-pain and closed her eyes. She kept running, but the wall never came. She stopped and looked around.

She was in an alley beside the bank, hidden from view. Tou-Kou glanced over her shoulder and saw the wall from whence she came. It still looked quite solid. She had passed through it as if it were air. Being alone scared her, what terrified her more was the thick, stony hand on her shoulder. She was roughly spun around to see a familiar face. Boss.

His gravely hand seized her around the throat "Not a word, onna, or your head goes _splat_." his gritty whisper warned. He dragged her away from the bank and into a nearby building.

Youko and Koronue appeared in the street soon after. "Where the hell is she? She just walked through the wall!" Youko cursed. Koronue walked around to the alley beside the bank, "if she walked through the wall, she would have ended up here." He pointed to the ground. Youko kneeled and touched the spot, sniffing lightly. "I know that scent, one of the robbers who raided the hide out."

"You don't think…"

"Oh yes, definitely him."

"Where is he now?"

"Hold on," Youko regressed to his fox form and picked up the trail.


	12. Lesson 6 part two

Chapter 12

Lesson 6 part two

Tou-Kou was dragged by the throat down a flight of steps in the shady building. Boss had apparently survived the attack of the Shokuyou butsu. He spoke to her as he walked revealing his 'master' plan.

"You are going to become a slave, ningen, and suffer for what you did to me." He held up a mangled hand; his fingers were twisted backwards and curled at horrible angles. "But first, I might want to have some fun with you, heh." His horrible chuckle sounded more like he was choking. Tou-Kou was losing consciousness, 'Youko, help me.'

Boss entered the basement, breaking the wooden door. A black figure stood near a shining circle floating in the air; a portal between the worlds. Boss approached the figure, "You got the goods?" it asked. He nodded, holding his prisoner. "Mind if I do something first, before I give her to you?"

"Don't damage her, she's valuable property." Boss sneered, "I won't." he brought his huge fist across her face, flinging her across the room. She was already unconscious so she made no move. "Watch it, you rock head!!"

"Whatever, you got my pay?" Boss held out his good hand expectantly. The figure snarled menacingly. 

"Just for that, your pay is this!!" a lance of reiki pierced through Boss's chest, killing him instantly. His heavy body shook the foundation as he fell. The figure picked up Tou-Kou and stepped toward the portal. Suddenly, he fell forward. He tried to stand up again, but realized his leg had been severed from the knee down. Blood gushed from his leg.

Youko Kurama stood in the doorway, his rose whip raised high. "Release her, scum." his voice calmly menacing. The figure laughed manically; he took his severed limb and reattached it to its place. Twisting it around to its proper angle, the cut disappeared. He stood again and formed another reiki lance, "Stand aside, petty whelp. Her life belongs to me now."

"I belong to no one!" Tou-Kou stood up behind him, twisting his arm around, she gored him with his lance and shoved him through the portal. The figure went through the circle and was never seen again. She leaned against the wall for support, but was seized again. Youko hugged her tightly, "In all the three worlds, no one has ever made us worry so much. You will be the death of me some day." He laughed.

She squirmed, holding the side of her face. Youko examined her wound, a dark bruise spreading from her cheek to her chin. He touched it lightly, she jerked away. Holding the unhurt side of her face, he tilted her head back toward him. Gold reflected green, green reflected gold. He kissed her, long and passionately. She was too shocked to move for a moment, but relaxed and kissed back. They parted; she leaned on him heavily. With out another word, he picked her up and carried her out of the building. Koronue waited outside.

He and the fox said no words, but communicated through a special bond friends had; the fox was in a whirlwind of emotion and did not wish to be spoken to. Koronue did not press him, and they went back to the hideout with out further events.

Tou-Kou fell asleep as soon as they entered the forest; Youko put her in a safe place to sleep and left the room. Koronue cornered him and pried at a tender subject with out mercy.

"You're completely obsessed." He said.

"I am not."

"Yes you are; you can never stop doing things for her and treating her like she would break."

"If I am, why are you upset about it? Oh, because you think I'll fall in love again?" The bat nodded curtly. "Well, stop worrying; I will never be swayed, I will never weaken. In fact I thought about selling that ningen as a slave!" the fox was bluffing every word. Koronue made frantic motions to stop, but Youko was ignoring him. "She means nothing to me." He turned and crossed his arms stubbornly. His eyes suddenly went wide; Tou-Kou was leaning in the doorway to the room, having heard every word. 'Oh, no!'

Tou-Kou suddenly looked angry, she turned and ran out the door and out of the hide out. "Tou-Kou, wait!" the fox chased after her. She disappeared into the woods, leaving him standing helplessly in the field between the hideout and the trees. Koronue came up behind him, "We have to follow her."

"Why bother?" Youko turned away stubbornly. Koronue caught his shoulder, "Because we need her back. _You _need her back."

"What would you know? You never loved before!" Youko scratched his friend's hand. Koronue sent his fist into the fox's face so hard it knocked Youko off his feet. "Listen to me, Kurama, friend, there is something I have never told you before that I think you should know." The fox rubbed his cheek tenderly, reminded of when Tou-Kou first struck him.

"What is it, then?"

"Long ago, before I met you, I too fell in love. I had met my soul mate; she was perfect, beautiful, smart, and _so strong_. I married her; she was my _one_ and _only_ wife and mate. We loved each other so much, but we were separated forever one day; she caught a horrible disease and died slowly. I was so angry and heartbroken, that I turned to a life of crime to steal everything precious to other people. Just like that disease did to me."

"I-I never would have guessed…I'm sorry."

"Please, don't be," an impossible thing was happening, Koronue was tearing, "I did not choose an honorable path and so my pain still exists. I don't want you to suffer the same pain, that's why I told Tou-Kou about your affairs, and warned her not to fall in love with you."

"What?!"

 "I did it because every time you fall in love and get your heart broken, I see my wife and I being separated again. But Tou-Kou isn't just another female, she is your match; she needs you, like you need her. You have to follow her before something happens and you break your heart completely." Koronue took his friend's arm in a warrior's grasp, his tears fading fast and replaced by stern determination.

"You're right. Thank you. I will go." Youko smiled a genuinely happy smile and followed Tou-Kou's trail.

Tou-Kou was confused; her plan was failing fast. She did not want to fall in love with Youko; she would inevitably hurt him like all the others. This was all Koronue's fault, if he had not forbidden her from letting her heart guide her, she would not have to leave. With all the speed she could muster, she ran through the forest in a jagged pattern to confuse anyone following her. She was going home but how would she get there?

Wait; there was a portal in the building in the village. Was it still there? It was worth a shot. She ran back to the village and into the building's basement. Yes, it was still there! She took a step toward it, suddenly regretting what she was doing. Koronue's words blamed her for this mess. With no remorse, she threw down her cloak; it clunked to the ground, she remembered what she had stolen was still in there. She opened the box and found a necklace with a very large diamond hanging on it, about the size of an avocado seed. She could sell this when she got back home and give the money to her father so he would not be angry with her for being gone so long.

Tou-Kou took off her ringing ball pendant and put the diamond one on. Throwing the bell to the floor on her cloak, she stepped through the portal, never again to enter as a human.

Youko had arrived too late; her cloak had not yet lost its warmth when he arrived. He picked up her necklace, and held it to his broken heart. She was gone. She had left him without a good bye. Filled with sorrow and guilt, he relayed this story to Koronue.

"You have to follow her!" the bat said, shaking his friend.

"No, she does not wish to be with me. She is not my match. She was only another pawn fate taunts me with." The fox hung his head sadly. Koronue slapped him lightly, "don't say that, you were crazy about her from the first day you me her-"

  _"DON'T YOU SEE? SHE DOES NOT LOVE ME!!_" he screamed, throwing Koronue back. His voice became very quiet, "And I do not…love her." he stopped. He was lying to himself, but his heart hurt so much, the truth might have broken him.


	13. Everything goes wrong

Chapter 13

Everything goes wrong.

Tou-Kou was spinning in a dark dimension, and was thrown roughly back to her own world. She was almost in the exact spot that she left in. She was in a small garden, behind her old house. She timidly walked inside the small dwelling. The bricks were covered with ivy long dead. The interior was a bit shabby, but very clean. She walked around and entered the living room. Her father sat in a wing back chair with his hands laced together, staring at the floor with a worried expression on his face. He was an old man, old enough to be her grandfather. His hair still had a few black streaks in it, and his features did not resemble hers at all. One would guess she was not related at all.

He looked up at her, a smile spread across his face, a smile that was a little too sweet. "Dearest daughter! You have returned at long last!" he stood up to embrace her. She froze: her father _never_ hugged her. She backed away. He teased her, "What? Have you forgotten your own father already? Shame on you Gabriel!" he wagged his finger as he spoke her name.

"I do not think you are not my father, but I do believe you are not your self." She chose her words very carefully.

"Nonsense, come here child, I have missed you." He gestured for her to come. She stepped toward him slowly. His eyes were darker than before, sinister. "Where have you been, Gabriel? And where did you get that ridiculous dress?" he laughed at her precious green tunic; the one Youko had given her.

"I've been…away. I got this from a…an old friend of mine." She sighed remembering Youko. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I brought you a gift in case you were angry that I left." She gestured to the necklace. The old man's eyes sparkled greedily, "let's have a look at it." He held out his hand. She removed the necklace, but as soon as she did, her reiki shot up. She was not aware of this, but her father was.

"Ah-ah! Perhaps you had better keep it, it-it suits you nicely." He lied quickly. When she replaced it. Her reiki went down again. The diamond was actually a reiki dampener that would compress energy so it could not be used or sensed. He made an evil smile and clapped his hands as if to summon someone.

"Well, now that introductions are over with, I guess it's time to get started. Come on out boys, let the bidding begin!!" out of temporary portals all around the house, at least a dozen different demons appeared. They moved in a professional business-like sort of way. These were demons of trade. Gabriel looked around, "What's going on, father. Who are these people?" she said panicking. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed her arms and a very large demon lifted her up. The old man stood in the center of the room and looked back at his 'daughter.'

"I'm really very sorry, dear. You have reached a ripe stage in your life, and now I have to sell you before you change back."

"Sell me? Change back? What the hell are you talking about, father?" she became angry. He chuckled, "I thought you would have become smarter when you somehow escaped to the spirit world. I was afraid the Lord of spirit world would have found you when you used an illegal portal. You see, now that you have come back, I must sell you now, instead of later, like I had planned, when you filled out properly." He gave a perverted grin.

"Why are you going to sell me at all, father? I don't understand!" her eyes filled up with tears. One of the demons stood up, "Because you are a vixen, you stupid broad! Can't you tell your own race?" he laughed at her. She wanted to sock him right in the gonads, but she was being held by her arms and could not move.

Her 'father' took over from there. "Now, now, Mr. Slade, no need for names unless you own her, then you can abuse her. After all, she has been kept in the dark all these years." He turned back to Gabriel. "You see dear, you are a spirit fox, a youko. You lived with other youkos, your mother and father. They were both _tragically_ killed and so you were brought into my care. When you were small, you were changed into a human for a certain period of time, in order to change you back into a full fox, one must donate a considerable amount of life energy to you before a certain time or you will turn into a were-fox, so to speak and only become a youko during a full moon. I was to make sure you never received that energy, as a were-fox, you would never become as powerful as a full youko. As a youko, you would be much too powerful to handle or domesticate."

"Domesticate? What?"

"You are a house pet, so to speak. And because you are the child of a golden youko, which is more rare than a silver one mind you, you are worth quite a bit of money."

"You're selling me as a whore?! What kind of a father are you?" she shrieked. He slapped her across the face. "Silence! You will become what I want you to be! Now, the bidding for this lovely young vixen will start at 500,000,000." He turned away from her and started the auction. Another demon started to bid, "600,000,000." The others joined in.

"700,000,000."

"800,000,000."

"1 billion."

"Going once, going twice-"

"1,500,000,000."

"1,600,000,000."

"2 billion." The room went quiet. "2 billion? Oh, come on! I'm worth more than that?" she said indignantly.

"Oh, all right!" the demon bidding grumbled. "2 billion _and _500 thousand. Happy? That's my final offer." The other demons started to complain. "Raden, you show off!"

"Going once, going twice, sold!"

A few days had passed since Tou-Kou had left Reikai. Youko had tried to forget her, but failed miserably. He would not speak with his friend or come out in the light of day. He spent nearly every hour of his time growing his flowers with reiki. His excuse was practicing his powers, but Koronue knew better. His roses were the same color and softness of her lips; his daffodils were as golden and bright as her jungle-like hair, and his ivy glowed the unnatural green of her eyes. He laid the flowers around her folded cloak and pendant. When he finally left the room, Koronue had had enough.

"Youko, stop this moping, I've seen this too many times before."

 "I am not moping. If I were moping I would be sad but I am not."

"You're lying, I know you too well. You can't keep going on like this!"

"Why won't you ever just mind your own business?!" he raked his claws across Koronue's chest. Koronue shook his head, "You are my companion, and my only friend. I don't wish to see you suffer."

The fox scoffed and crossed his arms, "I only suffer because you will not let _her _memory die in me."

"I have a bad feeling about this,"

"There you go again with me-"

"No! Its not coming from you, it's coming from the ningen!" his voice was suddenly panicked, " Feel for it you'll know what I mean!"

The fox opened his mind to any outside force trying to reach him. He felt a stab in his chest; staggering back, he saw an image flash in his head. Tou-Kou was in chains on a stone table, blood was seeping from a wound on her face. He could see her eyes, the light in them was weak, and her arm was held out to him as if he was really there. Then it was gone. Youko leaned against the wall, rubbing the spot on his chest. "She's in trouble. She needs our help." He said softly.

"Then you must go to her." Koronue replied.

"No, I can't go alone, I may need your help."

"It is not my affair-"

"Koronue, don't let me lose her like you lost your wife. I don't know how to do this!" for the first time in his life, the fox was pained and confused, asking for help from another. "Please, show me what you would have done if you could have saved _your_ love." He was begging Koronue.

"Stand proud, fox, for starters. You have to find her and who has taken her, and then study the enemy before you barrel in there-" Youko was already out the door. "You _baka! Listen to me, you asked me for help!"_

Gabriel was bound at the wrists and ankles. Her 'owner' held her on his lap, tracing her face playfully while they were riding through the demon world in a limo. Raden, as he was called, was a tall, strong man, taller than even Koronue. He looked like any normal human, with out horns or bizarre claws like many demons she saw at the auction. Though she considered him evil, he was tan and brutally handsome…for a jerk. His onyx eyes trailed across her frame excitedly.

"Are you as eager as I am for the next full moon, my pet?" his deep timbered voice made her want to wretch.

"I am no one's 'pet!' I wouldn't give a damn weather or not it was a full moon." She turned away from him hotly. His strong hand forced her view back toward him, unmercifully crushing on her already bruised cheek. "You ought to be very concerned with the next full moon."

"Elaborate." She said carefully.

"Well, my pet, for starters, the next full moon will seal you inside your human body _permanently." _His hands began to wander were they shouldn't. She dug her nails into his arm and pried his hands off her body, shoving him away. He wiped the blood off of his arm calmly, and then seized her head by the hair, his expression suddenly dangerous. "Never shove me away, I can make your life a living hell." He released her head, suddenly friendly again, "and the other thing you should worry about is I am a were wolf. Come the next full moon, I will reach the peak of my power, while yours will drop permanently, so that night will be much more fun."

Gabriel turned away from him, closing her eyes, trying to lock out the images of her violation. He began to paw her again, "Three weeks, my pet, three weeks."


	14. Lessons in love

Chapter 14

Lessons in love

  Koronue followed his friend through the woods and into the small village. They were looking for the portal into the human world; it was still there under the building, but it flickered dangerously, as if it would disappear any second. Youko stood before it, looking at Koronue. "Are you sure this still works?"

"No. Ready? On three; one, two, _three!"_ the bat dove in head first, the fox jumped in after him as the portal began to fade for good. They landed neatly on their toes in a dead garden, neglected for months. "is this her house?" Koronue murmured into the night.

"I think so, her scent is very faint here, she must have gone inside." He made his way carefully to the back door, should anyone spot them. The back door hung open, it was chilly outside, but the atmosphere inside made it seem colder. It was dark and dusty, not to mention rank. Dishes sat soaking in the sink of the uncared for kitchen; a true bachelor pad. "I bet Tou-Kou normally cared for the house, seeing as how this place is a dump." The fox wrinkled his nose in disgust. Koronue nodded, heading into the living room. It was empty but it still smelled of more than one demon. Koronue noted how the furniture was arranged in a circle with the wing-backed chair in the center. "There was a meeting here." He said.

"I wonder why?" Youko searched the area for clues. He detected another human scent, a male, probably her father. "Her father sat in this chair in the center. He was leading the meeting, I think." Youko thought aloud. They heard a squeak in the floorboards above them. "Her father is still here." Koronue pointed to the ceiling.

"Lets ask him a few questions." Youko stalked menacingly up the stairs, preparing to raise his reiki if he needed to. He reached the landing; twitching his fuzzy ears back and forth, he listened for any signs of life. A flush was heard from the door to his right. He frowned in disgust as the door opened; this man was too old to be her father; he could be her grand father. He jumped a little when he noticed two demons standing on his stairs. "Good evening gentlemen, if you're here for the auction, you came too late." He said almost too politely, like some one well practiced in sucking up. Youko glared at him, "And just what were you selling?"

"Well the girl of course, didn't you read your invitation? Say, I don't remember inviting you two at all. Who are you?"

"Your executioner if you don't answer my question, old man!" the fox seized him around the throat impatiently.  "Whom are you talking about, who is the girl?"

"Her-her name is G-Gabriel. She is a vixen in a human seal." The old man rasped.

"And you sold her? What kind of a person are you?" Youko hissed dangerously.

"A person who made a lot of money." He gave a dry laugh. Youko planted a death plant seed right between the old man's eyes. He let it grow large enough to fill the entire landing before he was satisfied. He had given the plant so much of his energy he was breathing hard and leaning against a wall for support. "Youko," Koronue signaled to him from the top of the stairs. "I found a check for 2,000,500,000 yen. Its signed by some one named Raden. He waved said paper in the air. Youko slowly came up the stairs and looked at the paper.

"Raden von Wolfblut." He read aloud. The name did not ring a bell. He tucked the paper into his robes in case it came in handy later. The fox walked through the halls in search of any clue she might have left. He came across a door decorated with fox stickers and little fairies. This was Tou-Kou's room. He gingerly pushed open the door as if it might set fire at his touch. He entered the room and looked around.

It was a fair sized room, painted light lavender, like thunderclouds when lightning flashes. Her furniture was all white and navy. Her dresser had a wide mirror on it. Her brush rested across the dresser. He touched it lightly, missing the feel of her hair. Her bed sat under a window, which framed the moon. All around her room, were stuffed toys from her childhood long ago; no people-dolls, just animals. He took a large stuffed tiger off her bed and sat down. _She _had slept here, night after night. All around, her scent washed over him, which he drank in like a wine. He saw a picture on her night stand in a silver frame. He took it and looked at the faded picture. It was a picture of Tou-Kou and another man; no it had to be her mother and father. No, if that was her father, whom had he just killed? The man in the picture must have been dead before. He replaced the picture and sighed sadly. Koronue did not enter the room; he let his friend have a moment alone before he stuck his head in the doorway. "We have to find this Raden, man. I think he has Tou-Kou."

"No."

"What?"

"Her name is …Gabriel." He sighed her name sadly.

"So that's her real name… it's so beautiful, it reminds me of my wife's." Koronue had a nostalgic look.

"What was her name?"

"Selena."

"I miss Tou- Gabriel." He hugged her tiger and leaned his head on the wall. "We have to leave this place to find her." Koronue entered the room and sat at her desk. He found a little bat doll and a fox doll sitting close together, apart from the rest of the animals. He also saw a corner of paper sticking out from under them. He pulled it out and read it. He stood up, "Youko, look at this." He handed the paper to the moping fox. He seized it and read it. It was written in a hurry, with fractured sentences.

Dear Mr. fox and Mr. bat, going away Packed a bag and shoes Worry, won't be coming back 

_      Help sugar-lips come home_

She had written so no one would suspect the real meaning of her words. He studied the paper for any extra clues; he focused on the sentence about packing a bag and shoes. He looked around the room and saw a single white shoe on the floor. It had a picture of a castle, a globe, and the word demon torn out of a book and stuffed into the shoe. He took out these pictures and held them up. "What do you suppose she is trying to tell us with these clues?" he said to his friend. Koronue studied the pictures. "Perhaps this is where she is going, to a castle, like in this picture here."

"But what about the other pictures?"

"Well, put them in the right order and it says 'demon' and the other one of the globe must mean 'world.' Demon world. She's going to a castle in Makai."

"She could never survive there."

"We have to go there _now_, then."

"Wait," Youko picked up the silver picture frame and put it in his pocket. "Alright, lets go."

Gabriel sat in a dark dungeon all alone. "This is so cliché. What kind of an idiot puts a dungeon in their house?" she walked around the small room, talking to herself. The door opened, Raden walked in. "Hello, my pet." She turned away from him stubbornly. "Aw, still don't like me? I like _you." _He cooed, hugging her from behind. She gave a soft growl of warning. He laughed a sexy but evil laugh. "The more you resist, the more I want you. But I wonder, are you toying with me?"

"Dream on." She wrenched out of his grasp. He shoved her against the wall, "Don't make me change this dream to your nightmare, Gabriel." She glared at him calmly. "You're so cute when you're defiant." He began kissing her face, and then he kissed her lips. She did not kiss back, he slid his tongue in her mouth; she bit down, hard, as if to sever the organ. He pulled away and added another bruise to her already abused cheek. The skin on her cheek was now very tender. "Sorry, my pet. You must learn your place." He kissed the bruise; she flinched. Raden laughed softly. "In time you will learn to love me too." Pawing her again, he kissed her again. "You're perfect, and mine, all mine." That was too much; she rammed her knee right where it hurt.

Ten minutes later she found her self decorated with bruises, and bleeding at the lip. Raden confined her to a stone table, with her wrists and ankles shackled with a sort length of chain connected to the table. "Sorry, pet. Perhaps I will have to teach you your place faster than expected. Maybe being on such a hard bed will make mine seem much more welcome." He gave her one last kiss before leaving her in the cold, gloomy room. A small window on one wall let in a little moonlight, she reached for it as much as the chains would let her. 'Help me, Youko, before its too late.'

A few minutes later, the door opened again. A scrawny demon walked in with a bag over his shoulder. He had large black eyes and a cute little horn coming out of his fluffy brown hair. He seemed very tall for his age. "Hello, miss." He approached her shyly; he hopped on to the table and opened his bag. She looked at him frightened, but he noticed and laughed quietly. "Don't be afraid, miss, I won't harm you." Something in his sparkling eyes seemed very familiar, as if she knew him before.

"But…you're a demon."

"Heh heh, not all demons are bad, Miss." He took out a damp cloth and held it to her bleeding lip. "I'm very sorry you took a beating, ladies are not meant to be toys. My name is Toko."

"Heh, so was mine." She laughed, disturbing the cloth.

"I'm sorry, I don't follow you." He looked quizzical.

"I was called Tou-Koushin, or Tou-Kou for short. It doesn't matter any more."

"Why is that, miss?" he tended to her other wounds.

"I will never see my friends again who called me that." Tears welled up in her eyes. Toko shook his head at her, "Don't ever give up hope, Miss. If you have friends who like you enough to rename you, they would come looking for you."

"I only hope they come in time."

"Why, what's going to happen?"

"When the full moon comes, I will be stuck in my human form forever. If I can't get someone to donate enough energy to me, I can't change back into a youko."

Toko's eyes went wide, "You're the girl every one wanted to get their hands on. Oh, dear."

"I can't believe it, I never would have guessed I was not human."

"I don't suppose any one really can." He began to pack up his bag. "I have to leave now, Miss. I'll see you later."

"Thank you Toko. I can't feel any hurt any more."

"Good, I use my reiki to heal people."

"Thanks again."

"Anytime, thanks for talking with me, good-bye."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"If you ever get hurt by the Master again, or if I can get away from work, I will come by and see you."

"I'd like that, good-bye Toko."

"Goodbye, Miss." He went out the door and left her alone again.

Wolfblut means wolf blood in German.


	15. The Quest

Chapter 15

The Quest

Koronue and Youko had put their energies together to make another portal to Makai. They disguised themselves and went to the streets for any information on Raden von Wolfblut. After a few days of fruitlessness, Koronue found a very interesting bit of information from a group of drunken poker players.

"It seems the family von Wolfblut is a clan of werewolves. They are aristocrats in this world."

"Well, that narrows down our area search a little. Don't werewolves like to live in forests?"

"Normally, but what about Tou-Kou's clue about the castle? One can't build a castle in a forest; trade would be too difficult; perhaps it's near a forest or next to it."

"There are only about a _million forests in Makai!"_

"Don't lose hope, Youko. We'll find her." Koronue put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know. I'm just a bit frazzled. I don't like the air in Makai; it makes my fur spike up." Youko smoothed out his tail. Koronue laughed. "You're such a whiner."

"Shut up. Lets start searching the forest around here."

"We'll need some maps."

"Should we steal some?"

"Why, bother? Any library will lone us some for free; plus, we can study them during a decent hour of the day."

"Lazy."

"Whiner."

At the nearest library, Youko and Koronue still kept their disguises, but split up to search for two things. Youko looked at maps, while Koronue looked up the von Wolfblut family. They met up with each other at noon, on top of the library. "I found nothing about the von Wolfblut clan. Apparently, they like their privacy."

"Great, that really helps. Well, I managed to get a map on major forests and castles. There are about twenty castles near forests." The closest one is here," he pointed to the map. "Lets get started."

Raden sat on the edge of the stone table, twirling Gabriel's tresses with one hand. "Do you still hate me?" he crooned.

"With a passion." She replied venomously.

"I still like you."

"Obviously not a whole lot if you chained me to a table."

"Now, now, don't get testy again." He let go of her hair and began to trace her face. "I'm only doing this for your own protection."

"Protection? Give me a break!"

"I restrained you so you would not harm yourself."

"Why would I want to harm myself?"

"No, I mean, I don't want you to rebel against me so I do not have a reason to punish you."

"You're crazy." She spat at his hand. He slapped her. "You see why I have to restrain you?" he kissed her hurt cheek. "You shouldn't make me have to do that. Maybe if you're good, I'll let you off with good behavior."

"I hate you."

"Well, I still love you." He kissed her. When he pulled back, she looked confused. "If you love me, why do you keep me here?"

"So I can love you. Don't you understand? I can give you anything you want, love, money, and fortune- anything. Just name it; if you want to get out of this squally prison, love me and I can give you anything!"

"If you really cared, you would give me my freedom. You've hurt me more than words can describe. Freedom is an alienable thing, it's like taking away my breath!" tears began to well up in her eyes out of stress, "it goes against the very foundation of being a sentient being to do this! Set me free and I will have a _reason _to love you." he slapped her again.

"You're only hurting yourself with your babbling." He said coldly. She stared back at him in horrified disbelief.

"You're a monster!"

"Silence!" he brought his fist across her cheek. "Oh, you're making me damage your pretty face. I hate to punish you so, my pet." He seemed sadly upset; leaning his forehead on hers, he hugged her lithe frame close.

"Hate this," She growled and sank her teeth into his face. Her human teeth were just sharp enough to pierce his skin and scrape the muscles in his cheek. He cursed and drew out his werewolf claws, digging them into her throat while his other hands beat her mercilessly.

When he had finished, she was crying softly, covered in both their blood, cuts, bruises and a cracked rib. His anger melted away as he gazed down at her with pity. He stood up and walked toward the door. "Sorry, pet, I couldn't help it." With out another word, he left her alone again.

The skills of the fox and bat were put to the test; they infiltrated, questioned, searched and wondered. It had been nearly a week since the search began. No clues about the whereabouts of the von Wolfblut family came up. They had only searched about a fourth of the area on the map of castles. Youko was becoming impatient.

They had made camp near a large forest surrounding a mountain chain that spanned hundreds of miles. Searching the towns around it would take months. "Koronue, there has to be a better way. What if the name of the family was a fake, a cover up story?" Youko paced around the campsite.

"I can't think of a better way at the moment. Perhaps if we had a mage at our disposal, we could find the exact spot through a process called dowsing. The problem is, mages are hard to come by these days."

"How would one find a mage?"

"I haven't the faintest clue. We would have to stumble upon them by sheer luck!"

"Damn." Youko paced some more. "I know of a plant that seeks and feeds on magic, but it needs a scent, or a sample of magic, to get it started."

"Well, maybe you should walk around a black market with that plant. One can find even semi-enchanted objects all around."

"You think? Well, it's worth a shot." sighing, the fox pulled one of numerous seeds out of his hair and fed a little reiki into it to make it grow. A black vine curled lazily out of the seed shell; its leaves were not unlike that of feathers. The longest tendril hung down from Youko's hand, and then slowly inched toward his pocket. "What's it doing?" Koronue asked, perplexed as Youko. The plant wriggled into his pocket, searching for something; "Oy!" Youko wrenched it out indignantly, but his anger was turned to surprise. The black leaves were curled around a familiar silver sphere pendant. "Tou-Kou's necklace is magic?" he mused.

"What does it do?" Koronue stepped closer and examined it. "Only one way to find out!" Youko pried it from the plant's grip and slipped it over his ears. No sooner had it fell ringing on his chest, Koronue jumped back startled. "Youko! Your reiki just skyrocketed! You must be at least ten times more powerful than before!"

"So that's what this does; it's a reiki amplifier. I wonder where she got it from…"

"Uh, Youko?" Koronue pointed to his friend's arm. The plant had grown along with Youko's power and was in the process of engulfing his arm and waist.

"Down! Back you devil!" he tried to beat it off as it covered his face.

"Take the necklace off!" Koronue said, not waiting for his friend to react he yanked the pendant off him. The plant instantly shrunk back to its original size. "That pendant's magic must have penetrated through me, so this plant thought I was of magic blood." Youko deduced.

"Look, it's moving again!" Koronue pointed downward. The vines had trailed to the ground and were slithering due south. "It has the scent. Lets move!" he released the plant and followed it as it wormed along the ground at a rapid speed. An hour after noon, the vines had located its prey. A lone mage had been working in her garden when it attacked and began to strangle her.

Youko approached her slowly, as if he was just passing by. "Hello, are you being attacked?" he asked.

"Yes," she managed to rasp; her white cloak was drawn about her arms and legs, preventing her from spell casting. "You are a plant manipulator, can you help me? I'll give you anything you want." She was struggling to breath now.

Youko leaned his cheek on his hand, "Hmm, anyyythiiing?" he drew out the word lazily.

"Yes! Yes! Anything, please hurry!"

"Will you use your powers to dowse and help me find something?"

"That's oddly specific…Yes! All right! Just get it off me now and I'll help you!!" her lips began to turn blue. With a flick of his wrist, Youko had unwrapped the squirming tendrils from her throat and turned it back into a seed. She stood up, straightening her short hair; mages are not obsessed with vanity.

"Well, what is it you want me to find?" She jumped as Koronue stepped up beside Youko. "I know your faces, you're bandits!" she took a step back and raised her hands to cast.

Youko held out his hand with the seed as if it were a weapon, "If you want to live, you will keep your promise to me!"

"Why should I help you? How do I know you won't just kill or rape me when you have what you want?!" her arms were frozen in the air. Youko sighed sadly, he reached in his pocket, the mage eyed him warily, and he took out the silver frame he had taken from Gabriel's room. The mage looked surprised and looked closer.

"I'm looking for a girl that looks exactly like her mother. I love her and I have to save her. You do not have to worry about being violated by _me."_

"You are in love?" he nodded, "Well, _that _changes things!" she giggled and rubbed her palms together. "Do you have a map perhaps, that I could dowse with?" she asked. The fox relinquished his map of castles to her. She laid it carefully on the ground and pulled a quartz crystal from her pocket. Humming and chanting softly, she let the crystal sway on its chain. The bandits observed in fascination. The crystal swung around it in a circle for several moments before she stopped chanting; it froze in mid swing, the tip of the crystal pointed diagonally from its chain to a far corner of the map. The mage marked the spot and handed the map back to Youko. "That spot should be directly where she is."

"How will I know if this really works?"

"You see love is the most magnetic magical force there is. I could not have found it so easily if you two did not really love each other a lot." She explained, putting her crystal away.

"Well, thank you." He blushed, having been baffled.

"You're welcome, I wish you luck on your journey, sirs."

"Thanks, oh, and if you utter a word of this to any one-"

"Don't worry, helping those in love is what I use my magic for! Confidentiality is part of my policy." She laughed and went back to her gardening, when she turned around again, they were gone.

Random reviewer-Raden is a bitch!

Me- yes, isn't he deliciously disgusting?

I really don't know crap about witchcraft and stuff but I know what dowsing is; I just made up the details. I saw it on Charmed, what do you want?-

Plz r&r


	16. Therapy

Chapter 16

Therapy

A week from her arrival at the castle, Gabriel was already weakened. What she was given to eat was just enough to keep her alive. Her rebellion spurred Raden to beat her regularly, but Toko always did his best to heal her. She cried often and was constantly shivering. Even her wild rose-gold hair began to droop sadly. "Toko, why does he b-beat me? He keeps saying he loves me but he doesn't treat me like he does!" she sobbed miserably. The little demon awkwardly hugged her and dried her tears.

"Perhaps he didn't have a fun childhood. Brats like him always throw a fit when they don't get what they want." He rolled his eyes.

"I can't take much more, Toko." Toko smoothed out her hair, "Please don't cry anymore, Miss. It'll be okay. Good things come to those who wait, as they say."

"I hope so. This dungeon is very depressing."

"It could use some wallpaper and throw pillows, don't you think?" this made her laugh. "And some potpourri!" she chuckled.

"And new furniture with little flowers all over them; that just screams 'dungeon." His smile faded after a moment, "I have to leave now, I'll see you later."

"Good bye, Toko."

"Goodbye Miss." He waved as he went out the door. Toko sighed sadly as he walked down the castle halls; he felt helpless that Gabriel suffered while he could do nothing but heal her. Toko's gaze was on the floor, watching his feet when he rammed into someone. He rubbed his nose and looked up at whom he hit. Terror gripped him; it was his master, Raden. "M-my lord Raden!" he quickly bowed low, not daring to raise his head.

Raden raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Stand up boy, I won't punish you." Toko straightened up, quivering. "You are the boy who heals Gabriel, aren't you boy? What is your name?"

"T-Toko, my lord." He kept his eyes on the ground.

"I have noticed you are a very practiced healer, patients take half the time to heal as normal. Very good, I must say."

"Thank you, my lord."

"If you can heal others so quickly, why do you spend so much time with Gabriel? Are you having difficulty healing all of her wounds?"

"N-no sir, not at all."

"Then why do you spend so much excess time with her? What exactly do you do while you are with her? Because you know I will kill you myself if you are trying to take her from me." His eyes became menacingly dark.

"No, I could never! I- we just talk! We j-just talk for a while, m-my lord. She tells me she is lonely." The little demon cowered before the werewolf.

"Well, that's good to hear!" he laughed his evil but luscious laugh. : D—(drool) "I thought I was about to lose my finest healer! I could use you for another purpose as well." He said more to himself than Toko.

"My lord?"

"Come, sit, let us talk more comfortably." The werewolf motioned to a nearby bench. The little demon sat down nervously, lacing his fingers together. "Are you considered her…friend, Toko-boy?" Raden asked carefully.

"Well, yes, I guess so, sir."

"How close of a friend?"

"I suppose very close, I mean, I am the only person she sees other than yourself, my lord. May I be impertinent and ask why I am of importance to you?"

"You see," Raden began, "as much as I fantasize and practically worship _her,_ she despises me with a passion." He laughed at himself. "I want to know more about what she likes, you know, what sort of things a girl wants. Perhaps I may even move her out of the dungeon and into a more …hospitable area. That's where you come in, if you can supply me with information."

"Wha… what kind of things do you wish to know?"

"Oh, simple things, her favorite color, what kind of room she had back home, why she hates me, the usual." He ticked things off on his fingers. "You wouldn't happen to know anything like that now, would you?"

"Well, sir, she does not like you because you…beat her, or so she tells me, my lord." He said quickly.

"I see…ningen women are so hard to please. Demon women know their place right away, but no… not ningens. Well, Toko-boy, I will speak to you again soon. Talk to her more and find out about the things I want to know. But if you tell anyone about our little chats," he leaned close enough to breath on Toko, "I will eat you alive at the next full moon." With that he stood up and walked casually away. Toko sat still as stone until his eyes began to dry out from being so wide. He shook his head and stood up to walk away but his legs failed him. A laundry maid walked past him with a basket full of sheets. "Are you alright, Toko? You look a bit pale." She asked, putting her load down and helping him up.

"Oh, I'm fine! Just fine! Thank you, though. Uh…I have to go now, goodbye!" he scampered away from the laundry maid; she gave him a bizarre look and continued on her way.

The past week had been hard on both Gabriel and her friends; she was losing her spirit and strength while they were losing hope and her trail. Whatever evil was inside Koronue and Youko had been pushed out of them. They no longer felt any need to steal and kill just for the fun of it. Secretly, Youko sort of liked the feeling of being good, having someone else to care for and not just himself. But such thoughts were too embarrassing to be kept anywhere but inside.

"How long do you think it will take to get to the castle?" Youko looked at the map questioningly.

"It depends if we stop to sleep and things like that."

"I don't need sleep!! Sleeping is for the weak!" the fox had dark circles under his eyes as he stood up proudly in a superman pose. "Onward!" he took a step forward only to find his face suddenly engaged to the ground. He looked up at Koronue who shook his head pityingly. "You haven't slept at all this past week, and you haven't eaten a lot either."

"So?" the fox whimpered and sat up. "That doesn't bother me!"

"Well, it bothers _me! _When you don't take the time to take care of yourself, I can't either. Besides, it's not healthy to not sleep or eat."

"But-"

"No buts, now look closely at this shiny thing I have here…"Koronue waved his pendant in front of Youko's nose, knowing he could not resist staring at shiny things. "Watch it closely; you need to sleep. Nooooooow _sleep!!" _Youko's eyes slowly slid shut and his head dropped to the ground. Koronue put his pendant away and hauled his partner to a safer location to sleep. He tucked him in like a little child and laid down a little ways away from him; finally, they slept.

It was night again when Youko woke up. He let his eyes adjust and basked in the sweet feeling of not knowing or caring where you are or what you are doing. The feeling faded away after a few minutes and he tried to piece together what happened. 'Hm, I was walking, then I fell down and I fell…asleep?' he looked around and found a small mound of fruit next to him. He took one instinctively, (and he was hungry) and sniffed it to make sure it was safe to eat. "Sleep well?" Koronue was suddenly bent over him. Youko jumped, "Don't do that! Hey, wait, aren't we supposed to be going to the castle?" he started to stand up but a pair of hands pushed him back down.

"Not yet, you have to eat first. You already slept enough, now eat something."

"I don't need to eat." He stood up and tried to walk but something jerked on his ankle. He looked down and saw a very heavy looking chain attached to his ankle and wrapped around a very big boulder. Koronue forced him to sit again, "You can either stay and eat and I will eventually let you go; you cannot break these chains by the way, or you will be forced to chew your own leg off." He said dramatically. Youko said 'hn' and bit into his fruit, glaring at Koronue who seemed not to notice. When his pile of fruit was gone, Youko held up his chained foot and pointed expectantly. Koronue released him, and then found his face in the grass. "Don't ever do that again! I can't stand being trapped like that."

"Take care of yourself so I won't have to."

"Overbearing oaf."

"Spoiled whelp."

"Lets go."

Two days had passed for Gabriel. Something didn't seem right about Toko; he asked a lot of questions about her. "I just like hearing you talk to me, no one else will." He said blushing. She was too frazzled to care whether or not he could be lying. She also noticed that Raden had not come to visit her at all the last two days.

"Why isn't Raden coming to see me any more? Is he planning something, do you think?" she asked him out front.

"Uh-how should I know? I'm just a healer; I haven't a clue. Nope. None." He shook his head repeatedly. He glanced at the window, examining the position of the sun, "oh my I'm afraid I have to leave again, Miss. See you tomorrow then?"

"I'll pencil you in between doing nothing and counting the air molecules." She chuckled and smiled wryly.

"Goodbye Miss."

"Later, Toko." She waved her fingers at him. He put on a fake smile until he was out the door. Sighing, he shook his head. He felt wretched, deceiving and using his only friend. He didn't feel much better when he reported their conversations to Raden. Toko felt unworthy to be her friend; she was too sweet and young to deserve that.

The next time Gabriel had received food, she was ravenously hungry and didn't stop to check for poisons like Youko had taught her to. She found herself very sleepy and went out like a light. She sensed, in her dream a pair of hands undoing the chains on her wrists and ankles, and carrying her for a while. Short jerks told her she was going upstairs. She fought to wake up but the potion in her food was very potent. At last she was placed on something very soft and warm, not at all like the stone table she had slept on night after night.

Gabriel slipped into a more restful state of sleep when she was finally left alone. But she was not completely alone, another still guarded her possessively, watching her every move and breath. When she finally woke up, Raden was sitting in a chair next to her bed. "My you sleep deep." He purred, stroking her hair. She cringed away from him and wriggled her wrists against imaginary bonds. The chains were gone!

Gabriel sat up and raised her hands. _Clink! _ No, the chains were still there, just a little longer than before so she could move comfortably. Raden scooped her up and sat on the bed, "You aren't ready to be free just yet," he teased. She faced away from him, not daring to do or say anything for fear of being struck. He nuzzled her neck, "Are you feeling any better? I hope you like your new room." he asked. She pulled away and looked at him strangely. 'Since when does he care what I want?' he seemed to not notice her questioning eyes.

Raden had to control himself; he wanted to earn her trust and love, but she was soooo vulnerable and he just wanted to take her! She was bristling at his touch, she was still used to only pain from him. Very calmly, he stroked her hair, holding her waist firmly, but not too offensively. She eventually calmed enough to relax her breathing and her grip on the new, longer chains. "That's right, you're safe, safe with me." He cooed as her eyes drooped. Gabriel felt…safe. Her rebellious side said it was the potion having after affects, but she did not say or do anything. The moment was so good, and she didn't want to suffer for her pride. She felt guilty being in another man's arms; she loved Youko, but what could she do? Nothing…

Be strong Gabe-chan!!

plz r&r


	17. Swayed judgement

Chapter 17

Swayed judgment

The familiar darkness, the well-known shaft of light; her guardian was back. He seemed tired; his black eyes had lost their sparkle, and his hair drooped downward. "My child, are you well?" he asked, sitting beside her; apparently she was still chained to the ground.

"I don't know. The full moon is only a week and a half away." She said weakly.

"You can't lose hope, not yet- where is your pendant?" he touched the foreign stone around her neck.

"I threw it away when I came back to Ningenkai."

"You should not have done that, it had the power to protect you, to make you stronger. This stone around your neck now hides you from others who can sense reiki."

"I have to take it off, so Youko can find me!"

"He is searching for you, my child, you must help him find you. Also, someone close to you is betraying you to Raden."

"Who is it?"

"You have to figure that out on your own," he began to fade away.

"Wait! I have to know who you are, and why are you helping me?"

He smiled as he faded, "You aren't ready to know that yet, it would spoil the surprise in the end."

Raden looked down at Gabriel; she was murmuring in her sleep. He shook her slightly, she still mumbled, he sighed and patted her cheek "Wake up, pet." Her eyes slowly opened. "What are you dreaming about?" he asked. She looked deep into his eyes, shook her head and shifted in his arms, "Nothing; nothing at all."

Two weeks since the quest began, the bandits had reached their goal. They stood on the right spot on the map, but the castle was between the forest and a city; the forest was a monster filled nightmare; the city was as tightly sealed as an army base. One had to be pretty crafty to break in.

Attempt number one: the main gates were open. Traders, visitors and local huntsmen walked freely here, but armed guards strode between them thicker than the pedestrians together. The two bandits thought better than to rush in, even though they were strong enough to take on these petty rent-a-guards. Youko had to know exactly where to look for his goal, but her reiki was nowhere to be felt. His first plan was to scope out the castle and plot an escape route. The cover: the enemy itself.

It was the very night they had arrived; Youko had lured away two straggling guards; probably first-timers. They were talking and joking, swinging their spears playfully. They had obviously had quite a bit to drink, because they were walking in a crooked line toward the forest. Youko flitted out in front of them, his hair and tail shining mysteriously in the moonlight. The guards stopped and stared at the wraith in front of them. Youko glided across their plain of view, then stopped as if he just noticed they were watching him. He put his hand to his mouth as if to gasp. The two guards looked at each other, rubbed their eyes, and looked at Youko again. A dramatic layer of fog drifted around their knees, adding to the dream-like atmosphere. Youko began to walk backwards, beckoning them to follow. They ambled awkwardly after the silver fox, staring in wonder. They came close enough to him to toss their hats to him; he turned, with a dreamy laugh and pranced into the shadowy boughs of the forest, leading his prey to a trap.

Koronue managed to part with his lucky black hat, at least for a while. The disguises Youko 'had appropriated' were a bit too small for him and a bit too large for Youko. The hats looked like something Peter pan wore, with a hideous feather and everything. Koronue let his hair down while Youko just used the hat to hide his ears. The sur-coats were a very offensive shade of maroon with a white sash. Koronue had let his hair hang over his shoulders to hide his wings, which were very uncomfortable in the sur-coat. They walked casually along the front gate holding their spears.

Mingling with the crowd, they easily slipped into the city walls, but were stopped inside by a higher-ranking officer. "I haven't seen you around here before, what are your names?" he said, scrutinizing them. Youko answered for both of them, "Okoy, and Eunorok." (Oh-coy and yew-nor-awk, their names said backwards.) The senior officer narrowed his eyes at them, "Who exactly hired you two?"

"Well…uh," Koronue stepped in to save them, "We are related to the Master Raden, sir." He said a bit sheepishly.

"Oh, is that so? Then why have you got grub work if you are kin to a noble?" the officer tried to trap them in their lie. "We are…bastards. The children of his chamber maids." Youko hung his head shamefully but really he was smiling. The officer looked at them a bit longer. "I see; he hooked you up with a job. Better than my father ever did for me." He said mostly to himself, "Carry on." He waved them away.

Keeping their eyes mostly to the ground, the walked around the city, memorizing the layout of the streets and all entrances to the city and the castle. The castle was much harder to infiltrate than the city. Seasoned soldiers guarded the entrances and carefully inspected all who came and went with out proper identification. The bandits were rejected from entering the building; being told they were, "no bodies meant for the low tasks of guarding the gates." They turned away, and made for a small inn. Koronue suggested renting a room to stay in, but Youko pointed out that normal every day guards had residences of their own. Ditching their costumes, they raided a clothing store and snuck out with out paying. After renting a room, with money some rich people had 'generously donated' with out knowing, they formulated a new plan to get into the castle.

"I can't think of anything right now, I'm too anxious." Youko paced the floor rapidly. Koronue had half a mind to hypnotize the fox into sleeping again. "Maybe we should sleep on it," the bat suggested.

"You're trying to trick me into taking care of myself aren't you?"

"No, well yes but, you think better when you are fresh." He pleaded. Youko sighed and leaned against the wall of their room. "I'm going for another walk around the market,"

"No, you have to rest now, the day is almost done."

"I'll sleep on the weekends," he grumbled. A scythe hit the door where Youko was about to reach for the doorknob. "No. Rest now. Don't make me force you." Koronue commanded.

"How about we compromise. I get to walk around one last time, and I will be in bed asleep by the time the sun goes down."

"You swear?"

"I swear on my tails." He put his hand over his heart.

"Alright, but no later than sundown." Koronue wagged his finger at the fox disapprovingly. Youko raced out of the inn and went through the market. He found nothing to his interest for the first half hour; then he noticed a sale in a special herb used in healing. (Aww, Youko is shopping!) He began to inspect the said herbs for a good bunch when he over heard a rather loud-mouthed woman talking to a gangly young demon boy. "Be sure to get some vandal root, Toko." His ears snapped at the familiar sounding name. "The master's pet needs it after her episode with the sleeping potion. They used too much, she's still a bit loopy."

'Master's _pet?'_ he thought angrily. Gritting his teeth and keeping his head low, he followed the two healers. The woman was a very heavy built person; she had stopped at a restaurant to catch her breath at one of the patio tables. "Toko, take the supplies back to the castle, then meet me at the square; I'm awfully tired of walking." She wheezed. The scrawny demon nodded to the older woman and departed. Youko strode in and sat down across from the lady. "My, you look parched, madam. May I by you a drink?" he offered politely, pretending to be attracted to her. The woman looked at him and tried to flirt back. "Well, a drink does sound nice," she smiled. Youko ordered them some alcoholic beverages; while the woman downed her glass, he left his own untouched. "So I hear you and your friend work in the castle." His voice was perfectly toned to make her even giddier than the alcohol.

"Well, yes we do, don't we?" he ordered her another drink. "What's your job?" he pried.

"The younger boy and I are healers, personal healers to the Master in fact."

"The Master Raden von Wolfblut?"

"Mm-hmm!" she said while drinking. "When we aren't tending to him, we take care of his little girl-pet." She babbled on.

"Pet, who is his pet?"

"Shh. Don't tell anyone I told you, but she's a human girl." The woman was swaying as she spoke. "She is being held captive until the Master thinks the time is right…or some rubbish like that-hic!" Her eyes began to dilate.

"How do you and your friend get in and out of the castle so easily? The security is very close there."

"Oh, well the guards know most of the servants by names because the servants sometimes put in extra hours with the guards (if you know what I mean!)." she giggled. "But we all are identified by the Mark in our eyes."

"Your eyes?"

"Yes, we all have a magical tattoo in our eyes that has the family name on it. See? You can see mine if you look closely." She opened her eyes wide and leaned forward to show him; oblivious of the drink she knocked into her lap. Her green irises clearly spelled out 'von Wolfblut.' "The mark cannot be removed or placed on a person by any one but a member of the von Wolfblut family."

"Fascinating, check please!" he found out what he needed to know.

"Are you leaving? Where are you going?"

"I was never here, madam, I'm just a figment of your imagination." He purred, patting her head as she fell into a drunken sleep.

Youko walked happily back into the inn room. Koronue looked up and pointed to him, "Sleep time now."

"But I found out something!"

"No buts; sleep now, talk tomorrow!"

"But-"

"No buts!!" Youko growled and went to sleep.

Gabriel sat on the bed, not looking at Raden. He was trying to peacefully win her heart. "Why are you so cold to me? You have to admit I've been treating you a lot better." He pleaded.

"I do not love you. I never shall, so just accept it."

"That's rather ungrateful of you."

"I am ungrateful you stole my freedom."

"I could give you more freedom if you would warm up to me. Maybe if you are nice to me for a change, I will take those chains off." He could not control his hands; they wandered up her arms and curled around her back. "I could be such a good lover to you if you would just let me. I could take you _any _time I felt like it, but you seem more special than just a chambermaid."

"No." she said plainly, with out any emotion in her voice or on her face.

"I know you are in love with that bandit, Youko Kurama." She bristled at this. "What you don't know is that he doesn't love you. He sees you as property, just like all the others, all his past women. He wouldn't come save you if you were in trouble. I would come to your rescue faster than he could ever hope to." He said. He began kissing her neck. "You can be happier with me than with anyone else in the world."

"No! No, you're lying!" she shook her head to make him stop kissing her.

"No, I'm not." He said sternly. "Sooner or later you will stop lying to yourself and realize that I'm right. When you finally pull your head out of the clouds, I will be here to catch you." He gave her a brief kiss on the lips and coldly stormed away. When she heard the door close and lock, she pulled her knees to her chest and scooted to the headboard so she could wrap her arms around herself and cry.

Me- Raden is so mean TT

Give me a day or so to upload some new chaps, i have gotten quite far when i forgot to update. it doesn't mean i don't love you all, in fact, i write better when i don't have a deadline, so this is a treat for you all.

i love you guys, you keep me going when the happy pill and caffine wears off


	18. A Friend or a Foe?

Chapter 18

A friend or a foe?

Youko felt the warm rays of the sun on his face and saw the glow through his closed eyelids. He sat up and immediately shook his friend awake. Koronue blinked and sat up. "I have to tell you what I learned yesterday."

"Hm?" he yawned then nodded Youko to continue.

"The only way to get into the castle is to have a special mark in your eye made by a member of the von Wolfblut family."

"How do we do that?"

"I have no clue. Could you cast the illusion of having a mark like that?"

"That's awfully specific. I don't know if it would work for long."

"It doesn't have to be very long, just long enough to get into the castle, then we go back underground."

"I'll give it a shot." Koronue picked up his pendant and held it in front of Youko's face. "This will be even harder because you know me well; I can cast illusions better on strangers." The red jewel glittered with his reiki. It swung back and forth slowly, casting its light into Youko's eyes. The fox stared intently at the sparkling pendulum, and then his eyes became very serene. Koronue held up a mirror, "See anything?" Youko looked closely at his reflection. His amber eyes were very clear, the irises shown a scrawl that vaguely resembled the words 'von Wolfblut.'

"Close enough, what about you?" he said, preening his ears while he looked in the mirror. Koronue shook his head, "I cannot hypnotize myself, even if I use a mirror."

"Hm, maybe…" the fox' cunning began to tick again, " if only we could get a real family member to mark us."

"Like who?"

"Well, remember yesterday when we pretended to be bastards? If the guard bought it, then that means Raden really is a sex-crazy person who has illegitimate kin to spare. Maybe one of his offspring will help us."

"How in the three worlds would we find one?"

"It won't be easy, but I could sniff one out. I already have a sample of Raden's scent." He took out the check Raden had sent to Gabriel's 'father.' "I put it in a sealed pocket so none of his _foul_ scent would rub off on me," he wrinkled his nose in contempt, "the seal also kept the scent fresh."

"This city is huge, Youko, it would take too long to find anyone, even with a scent. You would have to be in the general area of a place they often go, where their scent is strong."

"Well, if you were a bastard, where would you loiter?" Youko crossed his arms irritably. Koronue thought for a moment. "I would be bragging about sharing the same blood line as Raden, and I would be somewhere where I could show myself off-"

"A prostitution house maybe…"

O.o "okay…" 'Gutter brain.'

"No, think about it, wouldn't you try to get laid if you had leverage to?"

"_Me, _no; _a bastard _to that bastard, yes."

=-= "A hunting we shall go!"

The nearest burlesque house was not as hard to find as they thought. Nearly the whole city was a seedy place. Asking around, they found nothing at all for the first eight hours, but when they came across more secret 'areas' they heard a rumor going around. Apparently, Raden had only one child, after that, he was more careful. He shunned this child and never spoke to him or recognized him as an heir. The child of Raden had claimed the title of prince for himself and bagged quite a few women a day, each of them hoping they could somehow be a princess. Raden's son was named Arden. He was the easiest thing to find on the whole journey. Arden was a loud little man, constantly gambling, drinking and flouncing with handfuls of women at a time. It was harder to get him alone.

Arden was getting ready to call it a day, when a servant in a casino walked up to him with a message. "Mister Arden, I have been informed you have a present from an admirer upstairs in your room." The servant whispered to him.

"Really?" Arden said standing. He looked remarkably like his father. He sauntered up to his room eagerly and swung the door open. A hand yanked him in by his collar and the door shut softly behind him. His yelp could be heard through the door, but nothing more. Youko had wrapped his rose whip around Arden's arms and throat. "Make one sound and your throat will be punctured." The fox threatened. Arden, being a coward, whimpered shamefully. "Word on the street is you are the only child of Raden. Is this true?" Koronue paced around Arden, sizing him up. Arden answered an inaudible 'yes' because the whip cut into his skin. "We need you to do us a favor, and in return, you can have some of your father's money." Youko said, holding the check Raden had written to Gabriel's 'father.' "The name written on here can easily be erased and your own replaced."

"What do you want me to do?" he whispered.

"Mark us, like Raden's servants are, then take the mark back when we tell you to."

"Why?"

"That is not your concern."

"I won't do it if I can't know what its for."

"You don't have to know what it's for; but I will tell you that you may soon be the heir to his throne."

"You're going to kill him?"

"Smart boy, so what do you say?"

"Untie me first, then I'll mark you." Youko unwrapped the rose whip from Arden. "You have to let me touch you to Mark you." He said, Youko leaned forward and gave him a look as if to say, 'I'm waiting…' Arden reluctantly touched Youko's face; he was shaking. He made the Mark on Youko, then turned to Koronue and did the same. Youko made the name on the check disappear and gave it to Arden. "200, 000,500,000 yen?" he practically shouted.

"If you want more, then you will up hold the second half of this bargain. If you betray us, I will kill you myself." Youko hissed melting into the shadows. When Arden looked up, they were gone.

"I don't know why you are still sad, Miss. The Master _has _been better to you." Toko sat beside Gabriel's bed fiddling with his bag of equipment.

"It's not about trying to make it seem better," she spat at the ceiling. " He did something wrong, and he's trying to make amends for it in the wrong way. He has to reverse what he did, not cover it up."

"Miss, can you be so stubborn? Thinking about the past is making your present worse. You should count the blessings you have." Gabriel stared at Toko in disbelief. "You're taking his side?" she whispered. "You would take such a horrible person before me? I thought you were my friend, Toko!" she became more angry than sad then.

"No! Miss, I- uh- you-"

"If I can't lean on _you_, I can't lean on anyone… I think you should go now, Toko."

"Miss!"

"And don't come back."

"Miss!!" Toko pleaded, she had turned away from him and scooted to the farthest point on the bed from him. The demon began to shake, his eyes filled up with tears. "Miss, you can't shut me out. You're the only friend I've ever had; the only one who talks with me and listens to me."

"You sure didn't act like a friend. I wouldn't be surprised if you were in coalition with Raden himself." Toko stiffened; his blood ran cold. 'She knows,' He stood up and slowly walked out of the room. He paused at the door and looked back at her, "Goodbye, Miss. For good." She didn't react to his words. He heard her sob through the closed doors; Toko left Gabriel with a heavier heart than she had ever had while in the castle.


	19. Weakening

Chapter 19

Weakening

The next day, Raden spent quite a bit of time with Gabriel. She was still crying from the previous day when she shunned Toko. He sat on the bed with her in his arms, scooted up to the headboard so that she could wrap her arms around his waist while she cried. He just kept smoothing her hair and shushing her sobs.  "I can make you happy again, pet." He purred in her ear. She stopped crying as he pulled her away to look in her eyes. "What can I do to make you happy? Besides letting you go, you have become too weak to move during your stay in the dungeon."

Gabriel sniffed and wiped her face of on her sleeve. They stared into each other, far past their eyes, into their very souls. He saw that Gabriel was hurt, and afraid. He brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her forehead gently. "What will make you happy?"

"Well, calling me by my name first." She said very shyly. Raden nodded, "Alright…Gabriel." He kissed her face. "What else would make you happy?" She leaned on him and thought. He waited patiently for her answer; she shook her head, making her hair get even more tangled than it already was. She examined a lock of her hair; it was filthy with sweat and tangles. Raden smiled and took her hands in his own. He kissed her lips for a moment and unlocked her chains. He stood up and then turned to pick her up off the bed, but she had crawled under his arm and jumped toward the bathroom. Her legs could not support her and they gave out on her. She gave a cry and scrambled the rest of the way to the door. She curled into a little ball and sat there. Raden came to her and raised her head, "You know the door is that way?" he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

She nodded and inched away from him. He looked at her for a moment, he under stood. "Oh," he said and made a move to pick her up. She cowered away from him. "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." He laughed softly and whisked her up in his rams. He carried her like a bride into the bathroom. He sat her on a chair near a vanity mirror while he ran her a bath. When the tub was full, he lifted her up again and put her on the edge of the tub; she jerked away from him when he reached for her clothing. "Don't…!" she whimpered. "Don't worry," he said, "I won't violate you, I just want you to have a bath." She whimpered again. "If I close my eyes, would you let me do this?" he asked. She nodded her head slowly.

Raden closed his eyes and began the task of preparing Gabriel to be bathed. Every now and then, she had to help him with the buttons because he was now blind. Finally, he put her in the tub. Luckily, it was full of thick, white bubbles so he could open his eyes again with out embarrassing her. "Let me wash your hair, you can reach everything else." He said. He dumped the contents of a small bottle onto her head and worked it into a sweet-smelling lather. She managed to bath herself thoroughly before he poured a large bucket of water over her head to rinse out the shampoo. She gave a small scream and whipped her head around. "Sorry" he laughed and plunged his hand under the water to pull the plug. The water began to drain at a rapid rate; Gabriel covered her modesty while Raden went to get a towel. He closed his eyes again while she wrapped the towel around her self; he picked her up out of the tub and carried her back into the room. How he managed to dress her with out removing her towel was a mystery. He had also brushed out her hair.

She sat on the bed dressed in a loose fitting white shirt and long pants. The bath was very refreshing and it made her sleepy, but not sleepy enough to hear her own stomach growl. Raden remedied the situation with a large bowl of rice and chicken, which she made disappear into her small frame. Drowsiness swept over Gabriel as she pushed her bowl away. Raden held her for a while. "Are you…happy, now?" he asked softly. She managed to nod sleepily. He sighed and lay down on the bed so she could sleep in his arms. He felt something sharp jabbing into his chest and looked down; her necklace had been on through the bath and everything. Not wanting her to have a green neck, he removed the gem and fell asleep with the girl.

It was nearly midnight when Youko sat up in his bed, suddenly wide-awake. "What is it?" Koronue looked at his partner from his bed across the room. "It's her, she's here." He quickly got out of bed; Koronue looked at the clock and sighed. "No rest for the wicked,"

Two minutes later, they were out the window and ready. Youko led the way up to the castle, mugging a pair of drunken servants to the castle along the way. He and Koronue infiltrated the security very easily with the stolen clothes and the Mark of the family, but once they were inside, it was another story. Now that they had the disguise, they needed a place to stay until they could reach their target.

The guards in the castle were more professional and a lot stronger than those around the gates. They decided to hide for the time being in a bell tower. It was drafty and unbearably cold, but it was all they could find. Youko resolved to search the entire castle until he found Gabriel. Koronue stopped him, "It's nearly sunrise, and you would get caught." He said. Youko sat down anxiously: his patience was wearing thin, and his sanity thinner.


	20. Getting caught

Chapter 20

Getting caught

The day had dawned, and the bandits slept fitfully in the bell tower. Youko kept having nightmares and Koronue was kicked several times by the sleeping fox. It was so bitterly cold there; Koronue could not feel his wings. When they could stay asleep no longer, they discussed any options of 'storming the castle' and 'rescuing the damsel in distress.'

"Her reiki is very faint now, she must be asleep or very weak." Youko noted for the umpteenth time. Koronue paced to keep himself from strangling his friend. "We have to save her."

"I know. I _know! _You have to stop saying that. You are driving me crazy." The bat snapped suddenly.

"I'm sorry," the fox looked down at his hands. "I just can't think very well now,"

"You _can_ think, you just think about one thing. When we find her, will we need to fight Raden? Will we need an escape route? And if so, what obstacles would lay in our way? This werewolf is not to be taken lightly."

"What are werewolves vulnerable to? I know they don't like fire, but is that a true weakness?"

"Silver can kill them too, but it has to be near an open wound for it to take affect."

"So, fire and silver are our weapons. Neither of which we have. How can we attack with such an arsenal?"

"Perhaps a flaming, silver arrow?" Koronue wrapped his wings around himself and sat down. "Neither of us can use fire, and we have no silver at our disposal." The bat said.

"I suppose just fire will have to suffice unless we come across some silver. One can easily set another on fire with an ordinary source of heat; a candle, a torch, and all that."

"Fine, the next step is an escape route. We might have to walk around tonight and get the layout of the castle. Once we get out, the forest would help protect us."

"And what of the monsters in the forest? If Gabriel is injured, or weakened as I sense in her reiki, she could attract some dangerous things."

"We might have to risk it, or travel along the edges of the forest."

"So, tomorrow night, we should be ready if we are lucky."

"Lucky," Koronue scoffed, "we will need divine intervention to pull something like this off with out more planning."

Gabriel floated in darkness; the ray of familiar light was nowhere to be found, but her guardian was still with her. "Why is it dark?" she asked.

"Because hope is fading from your heart, little one. Why have you given up?"

"Three weeks is almost up, Raden won't let me go, Toko has betrayed me and Youko… is not coming!" she began to cry. She felt her guardian in her dream, he hugged her, "Please don't give up, please, keep hoping. Hope is what enables me to see you again." He pleaded.

"Who. Are. You?" she said slowly. Even in the darkness, she could see the sparkle in his eyes. "I was not going to tell you until you were free again, but, I suppose now is as good a time as any. I am-"

"Pet, pet! Wake up pet!" Raden's voice racked her brain. The darkness tore and disappeared. Gabriel opened her eyes. The werewolf patted her cheek, "You had another night terror." He said. The dream slowly began to fade from her memory, replaced by her anger. "You promised me to call me by my name." She whispered.

"Forgive me," he smiled his irresistible smile. She calmed down again. "Tell me, Gabriel, what would you like to do today?"

"I-I just want…to be alone." She turned away from him as she spoke. His head fell; she still didn't trust him. "If I have to be with you on the full moon, why not be separated until then?" she said. His eyes suddenly sparkled, "Of, course, my lady." He raised her hand and kissed it, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." He laughed and picked her up, setting her in a chair, he called for a servant. "Take care of her, I will not be seeing her until the moon comes." And he left.

Gabriel sat near the window in her chair while the servant made her breakfast. She could not help but cry, her tears running down her face like dew on the windowpane.

The sun was setting again; the two bandits were on the move. Even in the dark, they stuck to the blackest corners and shadows. There were guards roaming almost every hallway. Youko wanted to add to his filched wardrobe and walk more freely as guards, but Koronue thought it to risky.

Roaming the castle was no easy job; it was a labyrinth of halls and dead ends. Nearly all of the servants were off duty and asleep, so it was hard to explain their roaming to guards who managed to stop them. One in particular caused them more trouble then they could handle. "Okoy, Eunorok!" They bristled at their fake names. The senior officer from the front gates had spotted them. "What are you doing in the castle? I thought you two were gate guards." He stared at them hard. Youko's mind went blank; what could they say?

"We got reassigned, instead of grub work, we have women's work." Koronue spat out the first thing that came into his head.

"Reassigned? Really?" the senior stroked his chin. "Lets see your Mark." He roughly grabbed Youko's jaw and peered into his eyes. In the center of his golden iris was a dark, clear sign of the family name. He scoffed and shoved his head away. "Why would the master make his own kin into a servant?" he mused, "That sounds just sick if you ask me." He shook his head.

"He kidnapped a youko girl and forced her to be his personal toy; he _is _a sick man." Koronue responded blankly. The officer nodded in agreement. "Right, well, I guess you're free to go." He turned away from them and started to walk away, "Oh, one more thing, Raden only has _one _son." He smirked. He took out a whistle and signaled to any other guards. Youko pounced on him and tore out his throat with his claws. He had no time to hide the body and fled when more guards came. Koronue wasted no time berating the fox. "We do _not need any attention!"_

Youko hissed indignantly, "What was I supposed to do? He could have ratted us out."

"But now security will be tighter. Raden now knows we are here."

"Let him come,"

"Stay cool, Youko, he is a werewolf, he's stronger than _both_ of us." Koronue pulled his friend into the blackest shadows while a group of guards ran past them. Lights were blinking on all over the castle, trying to flush them out, so much for getting the lay of the halls. Youko tailed a guard down to the dungeons; there they waited in a dark and shabby cell, only furnished with a stone table. Youko sniffed the dank air; he recognized the faint scent of Gabriel. "She was here, in this cell. Raden put her in a cell!" he cursed and slammed his fist on the table.

For a few hours, they rested and said nothing, just listening for any sounds outside the cell. Youko could hear a slow _drip-drip_ of water. A large puddle covered a third of the floor. He sighed as he looked down at it. His reflection rippled with each drop, making the circles under his eyes look bigger. He noticed his arms were bruised and scratched, his hair was a wreck, and his tail was a thick rope of dull gray tangles. He tried to get the tangles out of his hair and was nearly driven to the point of tears. Koronue tried to comfort his friend in what ways he could but failed. Talking made the silence deafening, and he wouldn't dare offer to help him with his hair. Youko saw Koronue meant well and smiled a real smile for the first time in weeks.

"I want to thank you for being with me through this." He said. "I don't know how I can ever reward your loyalty to our friendship."

Koronue shook his head; which was equally as chaotic as Youko's. "No, it's alright, you would have done the same for me; and so would she, that's what binds us all together, knowing that we would help one another when we need it." Youko gave a wry chuckle; Koronue knit his brow, "What?"

"It's just… I feel like a human, so full of emotions. We're legendary criminals, wanted for nearly every crime there is to commit, but we still get mushy on each other." Together they laughed, and then merely enjoyed the feeling of loyalty.

Not a real exciting chapter, but its leading up to some action in the next chapter. Also there is a time lapse in here somewhere.


	21. Putting a friendship back together

Chapter 21

Putting a friendship back together

Gabriel had cried the whole day in small fits of silent tears. The servant was just as calloused as Raden and paid her emotions no mind. She had completely given up all hope of being rescued or escaping her fate. The day went by and the night came. The dawn of her final day approached. The servant had gone for the night, leaving her alone and frightened. Too anxious to sleep, she remained at the window, watching the moon.

The man in the moon was very clear, his face contorted in sadness and agony. A timid knock came to the door. "Go away!" she said, burying her face in her arms. Gabriel could hear the locks on the door shift and the hinges squeak. " I do not wish to see any one, please, go away." She said sadly. "Miss," a small voice said. The sad demon's face met hers as she raised her head. "Toko. What are you doing here?"

"I had to talk to you, you cannot give up hope-"

"And why not?! I cannot give up hope I never had!"

"Miss, please just hear me out."

"What have you to say that I have not already heard from you?" Toko did not answer right away, what could he say to her? "This is all my fault, I have dug my own grave. I should never have become friends with Youko and Koronue." Her head sank back onto her arms.

"Miss, please. You have to hold out a little longer, you can still get out of here."

"Make it out of here? You lie, you LIE! The only way out is death!" she snatched a knife from the table and held it to her throat. Toko paled, she wouldn't…

"Miss, no! Don't do it, there is hope-" Toko jumped and wrestled the knife away. He held her wrists to keep her from getting any other sharp objects to hurt herself with.

"I no longer want freedom, I want to die!" She began to cry again. Toko hugged the crying girl.

"Miss, I would never lie to you. You are _my friend_, even if I am not _your friend_." He bent his head lose to her ear, "_He_ is here, miss. Don't be afraid, he will save you."

"Youko-?"

"Shh! The walls have ears; take this favor he sends to you." He held something warm to her hand. She slightly opened her fingers; a glitter of silver caught her eye. It was her bell pendant. Her tears stopped, "Where is he now?" she asked.

"I cannot say, just have courage."

"Thank you, Toko. You are a true friend."

"Be strong now, the next day will test us all."

Toko was idly walking around the dungeons, listening to his own footfalls. When he came upon a familiar door, he sighed, thinking about his former friend. "What have I done to you, miss? This is my entire fault; if I hadn't spoke with Raden, you would not have gotten angry with me. But if I had not spoke to Raden, you would still be in this squally cell. I was only trying to look for your best interest. I'm so sorry, miss Gabriel." He berated himself to no end.

The door swung open silently, he looked up to see who it was and tried to scream. A slim hand shot over his mouth while another pulled him through the door. The door swung shut behind him, sealing him into darkness. He could feel a second pair of hands wrap around his arms. "I'm going to let go of your mouth now, if you scream, I'll slit your throat; understand?" a voice said.

Toko nodded feverishly. The hand released his jaw, "Who are you?" were the first words from Toko's mouth. "I shall do the questioning here, boy. My name is Youko Kurama, and this is my partner, Koronue."

"Yo," Koronue said.

 "How do you know Gabriel?" Youko demanded

"I was her appointed healer, you see, Raden was not kind to her." He heard a hiss of contempt come from Youko.

"Where is she now?"

"In a tower."

"Be more specific, my patience runs thin today." Toko felt something sharp pressing against his throat.

"In the tower closest to the forest in the east wing of the castle. Are you here to rescue her?"

"What did I say about questions, boy? Yes, I am here to rescue her, and now that you know our little plan, you have to die."

"Wait, I can help you!!" he began to struggle a bit. "Please- call it a last request and just hear me out!!"

"I'm listening…"

Toko took a deep breath to calm his self; it didn't work too well. "Miss Gabriel used to be friends with me, she stopped being my friend because I was in coalition with Raden. I would tell him what kind of things she liked and he promised to move her out of the dungeons and treat her better." Another hiss from Youko, "Any way, I know exactly where her room is, I could help you escape with out any one knowing."

"Why should I trust you?"

"I feel responsible for her predicament. I want to make up betraying her trust. She has only one day left…" he said sadly.

"One day until what?"

"Until she is trapped in her human body forever. If no one close to her can donate enough life energy, she can't turn back into a fox."

"Damn it! Where have we been all this time?" Youko cursed to himself. "Alright, we need to change our plan, now here is how you can help us…" After what seemed like hours, the three had pieced together a plan. The elements were not on their side, and neither was luck, but their determination was all they had.

Youko held out something to Toko, "Take this to her, the next time you see her, tell her not to give up. But don't tell her the plan. Raden may find a way to squeeze it out of her."

Toko nodded and put the small treasure Youko gave him in his pocket. "Good luck, Mister Youko, I hope this works."

"So do I boy, so do I."

I bet you think Youko is going to give Gabe-chan the energy, don't you?


	22. The Master Plan

i'm going to camp from 7-26 to 7-30, i won't be able to update for awhile, but i hope this big chapter will give you something to chew on until i get back. This chapter is a long one; grab a soda and some snacks.

Chapter 22

The Master plan

Gabriel had smartened her face up after crying so much. The servant returned in the morning and tended to the room while she bathed. When she came out of the bathroom, the servant had laid out clothes for her. Gabriel blushed, 'oh Lord,' she thought. She had been given a ceremonial black robe with a pentagram embroidered on the back. Under that, she was to wear a snow-white pelpos (kind of like a toga) and a small leather quiver filled with arrows. She wondered what the arrows were for, when the servant caught her staring at the quiver. "The arrows are used in the Sealing ceremony. They're the only things that can kill the master, but the only bow those arrows will be strung on is in the master's keeping. Both the arrows and the bow are magic, so they only work for each other." The servant said as if she was only describing the weather.

Gabriel fumed, 'Damn,' she needed a little help getting dressed; she couldn't make heads or tails of the quiver straps. The servant was styling her hair in a way maybe the Grecians wore it. The top half of her hair was in a sort of bun on the back of her head with little ringlets trailing out, and the bottom half had random, tiny braids with silver strings and jewels in it. The servant put a pair of sandals on her that laced up past her knees, almost touching the hem of the skimpy chiton. The last touch was a slim ringlet of pearls across her forehead with a crescent moon hanging down. Gabriel looked in the mirror; she looked like Athena, the Greek goddess of the hunt. 'And of chastity' she added silently.

"Excuse me," she said nervously to the servant.

"Yes?"

"I was curious; do you like working here? For Raden?"

"Well, that depends on how you look at it. The servants are given food and shelter and protection from enemies; but on the other hand, we can never leave, the master can do whatever he wants to us, and we are punished if we cannot complete our tasks, brutally punished; even if we are sick or injured. Some of us try to help each other, but others are selfish and walk right past the helpless, even their own friends or family members." The servant touched a scar on her arm nostalgically.

"What if you were given the chance to leave, or be free, what would you do?"

"I suppose I would feel obligated to stay, I never have to worry about a home or food." She laughed wryly, "But I have a husband out there…some where, and he said he would wait for me until death…" a tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly and straightened up.

"What will happen to me after I am sealed inside my self? What will Raden do to me?" Gabriel asked anxiously. "Will I just be his little toy?"

"The Master plans to make you his life partner; though he might treat you like a slave or not, he will give the title of his wife and all the power he has, except freedom."

"All the power he has…"

"Except freedom."

The sun had reached the high point in the sky. Out side of the small window in the dungeon, a dying dandelion had no shadow; it was noon. Youko was hypnotized to sleep by Koronue again, though the bat had stayed awake to keep watch. He was twitching every now and then from anxiety. He had sharpened his scythes eight times now, and he thought about doing it again. Trying to occupy himself, he counted the seconds between each drop of water into the puddle on the floor.

_Six hippopotamus_

_Seven hippopotamus_

_Eight hippopotamus_

_Nine hippopotamus_

_Ten hippopotamus_

_Drip!_

His ears picked up the sound of footsteps on the hallway. They stopped outside of the door; a small voice spoke. "Requesting entry."

"What's the password?" Koronue whispered.

"Raden is a sissy girl."

Koronue opened the door for Toko. The small demon had brought food, supplies, and a special key to them. "Do you know what I had to do to get this key?" he said grumpily.

"If I say yes will you still tell me?"

Toko smiled wryly, he looked over his shoulder at the slumbering fox. "He can sleep at a time like this?" he said.

"I had to force him," Koronue answered. "You remember the way to the Moon room?"

"Yes, once the sun goes down, I will lead you there disguised as a pair of assistance healers. Raden will be in the Moon room when the moon is directly above. Before he can finish the Sealing ceremony, I lock any one else out of the room and you two do your thing."

"Right. All we have to do now is wait for the sun to go down." Koronue sighed.

"And stop looking at the clock."

"And don't pace the room."

"And try to look cute and innocent."

"And try not to vomit from anticipation."

"Or crap your pants in fear." Koronue had to laugh at this, "You are a funny little guy, Toko, and a good friend to Gabriel."

"Am I friend to you?"

"Well, don't press your luck."

"But I'm not an enemy, right?"

"Right,"

"So… I am a friend, just not like you are to Mister Youko."

"Yeah, whatever. Are you going to eat that sandwich?"

Toko laughed and handed the food to the bat.

Gabriel waited by the window. She watched the sun sink below the horizon. It was almost time for the ceremony. The window on the opposite side of the room revealed a sliver of the moon peeking over the treetops of the forest. She gripped the bell pendant in her hand. She kept it in a pocket in her robe. The servant had brought her dinner and stayed while she ate, though she did not eat much. Gabriel tried to chat with the servant, but both of them seemed to be too anxious to say much.

The moon was halfway to the high point in the sky when the door swung open. Armed escorts with dark hoods stood in the door. "Come, it is time." They said. Gabriel looked back at the servant sadly; the servant had tears in her eyes but did not look at Gabriel. With one guard on each side of her, they walked slowly down the gloomy halls of the castle. Rich portraits and tapestries hung along the walls, but in the dark, they looked terrifying. After what seemed like an hour of walking, they approached a long hallway with a large set of doors at the end. One door was white and carved with a moon and a human figure holding an arrow. The other door was black and carved with a monstrous dog-like creature; it held a bow in its jaws. She guessed the bow and arrows were very important to werewolves.

The doors opened, revealing Raden in a similar robe but he wore a longer toga that was black. "Welcome to the Moon room." He said. The room was perfectly round; it was on top of a tower. Bluish marble tiles covered the walls, and over that, tapestries hung royally on either side of a stone platform. The platform was directly beneath a round skylight. She could see the moon shining through, casting an oblong shape onto the floor. A short flight of stairs lead up to the platform, on either side of that, were two cushy pillows. Raden sat on one, while Gabriel sat on the other.

"When the moon shines on the entire platform, the ceremony will begin." He said. He ordered a glass of some thing for each of them. She sniffed her glass carefully, the liquid within appeared to be clear, but she was still wary. Taking a sip, she discovered it was only water and drank half of the glass in one gulp. Raden laughed at her, "Don't drink that too fast, it might run right through you."

'If you don't shut up, by golly I'll run something through _you_, you….' She thought bitterly.

The moon was halfway covering the platform. The moonlight reflected off the polished stone and lit up the room. Raden stood up and led Gabriel up the stairs, hooded figures stood around the room, holding incense and chanting softly. "Let the ceremony begin!"

Koronue and Youko were busy dressing in the robes Toko had brought them. Time was of the essence now that the moon had risen off the horizon. The two bandits and the healer were dressed in powder blue robes with loose hoods that covered their faces, though Toko's horn poked out from beneath his hood.

The small demon quickly led the other two through the castle, sticking to the back halls and the shadows. The Moon room's doors were shut with a guard on either side. Toko whispered to them from the sides of his mouth, "The guards will ask why we are here, be ready to take care of them." Toko approached the doors first.

"What is your purpose here? The master said no one is allowed in." one guard grouched.

"I am the requested healer for the ceremony." the little demon responded.

"Why are there three of you?"

Youko and Koronue swept back their hoods, "Because we are your executioners." The bandits dealt with the guards swiftly. Replacing their hoods, they slipped into the locked room with the key Toko provided. Youko blinked in the reflected light of the moon; he saw Gabriel on the platform. Drawing a sharp breath, he took a step forward. Toko put his hand out to stop him, "Not yet," he whispered. The room was filled with chanting and the smell of burning incense.

The chanting quickened its pace and grew louder in the room as Raden pulled an arrow from Gabriel's quiver. It was tipped with silver, and to Youko's surprise, Raden cut himself with it on his hand. Raden then took Gabriel's hand and nicked it with the same arrow; she gave a yelp of surprise and pain; Youko growled viciously beneath his hood. "With this arrow, and our blood on it," Raden said, "You shall be committed to the moon, and your powers will wax and wan with it as I do." From with in his black robes, he produced the magic bow with which the arrows work. It was an ancient style bow, curving almost in a 'w' shape. "This is a fairy-bow, which contains the wood of an old tree that has grown to a giants height. It grew full of blood and hate because it was planted in a battlefield were it was drenched in impurity. It can only be purified of evil with goodness; bad blood with good blood."

While he was speaking, he didn't seem to notice all the chanting figures around him were disappearing behind the tapestries and into locked rooms. He forced Gabriel to hold the box and string the arrow to it. She did not object because her drink was actually laced with a tranquilizer. He held her hands because she was not strong enough to draw the string back. "Aim to the moon, and the seal is complete." He tilted her back to aim at the moon and…

Slash! 

A flying scythe ripped across Raden's arm, ricocheted of the far way and came back to its owner. Raden gave a low growl. "Ding dong!" Koronue lowered his arm. Youko charged onto the platform, "Your time has come, Raden!" he yelled, raising his signature Rose whip.

"Youko Kurama and his counterpart, Koronue. How quaint; come to rescue the damsel and vanquish the villain?" Raden laughed his trademark laugh. He dropped Gabriel as she was supported on his arm; she clunked to the floor with an 'mmf.' His eyes started to change, from onyx to red. The moon worked its powers him, changing him into a wolf-man. Black fur spread across his body like a wild fire. His once handsome face was contorted between a dog and a human. The black robe began to split between his shoulders as he grew several inches taller and wider. "Come and get me, little fox. We may both be canines, but foxes are the wolves' little brother."

"Well, 'big brother', you've picked on me long enough. It's payback time!!" Youko leapt forward and attacked. Toko snuck up from behind and dragged Gabriel to a safer place away from the platform. "Toko, the light." She whimpered, shielding her eyes. Her spirit energy was ebbing away.

Koronue stepped in to help Youko, by surrounding Raden from behind. Raden's laugh was no longer charming; "Numbers will not help you against me." he roared snatching Youko's rose whip out of the air and ripping it in half. Raden made a quick slashing attack at the fox with his long claws. The fox dodged quickly, but his white tunic was not spared.

Koronue's scythes seemed to have no affect on Raden's skin. Using his wings, he hopped onto the wolf's shoulders; (think Legolas and the cave troll.) swinging his scythe on its chain at a rapid speed, he flung it down as hard as he could. The curved edge sank into Raden's clavicle a few inches. The wolf roared furiously, seized Koronue by the foot and sent him into a wall. Koronue's scythe was still embedded in Raden's shoulder when the bat was thrown away, so the chain was jerked out brutally.

Youko tried to sow a death plant seed into the wound, but when he tried to make it grow, his energy had no affect. 'Only fire and silver can hurt werewolves,' he remembered saying. None of his plants could produce fire, but most of them were flammable. And Raden was tacky enough to have torches in his home. Youko pulled a bamboo seed from his hair, multiplied it, and blew them across the room. (Think when Koronue was killed outside the demon palace.) Shoots of bamboo jutted up from the smooth floors all around Raden in thick rows.

"Koronue, burn the bamboo!" the fox shouted to his partner over Raden's angry snarls. Both bandits and the healer ripped the lamps from the walls and tossed the oil on the bamboo, setting it ablaze by throwing the burning lamps in. Fire streaked across the bamboo, sending angry sparks onto Raden. The wolf howled and tried to knock the bamboo shoots down. He burst out of the small forest like a bat out of hell, (no offense to Koronue.) his robe was smoldering, matching his demonic eyes. He spotted Toko, running around, pulling more lamps down. _"YOU!! You sniveling little worm!!"_ Raden seized him around the throat, lifting him into the air. "I should have killed you when you first ran into me!!" Raden punctured through Toko's thin frame with his gruesome claws and flung him across the room. The smaller demon gushed blood from various wounds in his chest and stomach. Youko and Koronue charged side by side to avenge the fallen boy, with a battle cry on their lips and hate in their eyes.

By some stroke of luck, Toko had fallen next to Gabriel. White smoke seemed to be coming off her body, she propped herself up weakly on her elbow and reached out to her friend. "Toko," she whimpered. His eyes were clouding fast. "Miss," he replied from where he lay on the ground.

"You have to heal your self, quickly!"

"I can't, there are too many wounds, too deep."

"You have to try!!" she cried in desperation.

"No, miss, take my hand," he grasped her outstretched fingers weakly. "You have to live, I have to die, and that's how it was meant to be." Blood trickled down his chin from his mouth.

"No! No-!"

"Listen! I don't have much time-! Just live, and be free; take Raden out, use the arrows." She could feel his life energy pouring into her. She squeezed her eyes shut, part of her didn't want to see her friend die, and the rest of her was hurting already from the energy donation. "Live, be free…" he said with his dieing breath and slumped forward. A burning feeling tore through her like a hot blade; she screamed, shaking her head in her hands. The seal inside her was broken. Her spirit's strength returned to her, making her glow from the inside out.

She stood up groggily, the tranquilizer still taking affect on her, and stumbled toward the bow. It was still near the burning bamboo. She crawled onto the platform, and reached for the bow. A weakened branch fell off the bamboo near the bow, it was falling right toward her, she looked up in horror. Before she could scream, Raden had blocked the flaming branch from falling on her, setting his arm aflame instead. She was dumbstruck, "Why?" she said.

"You are _my_ bride, and I won't let you be taken from me!" He snarled, making a swipe at her. She rolled away, missing his clawed hand by inches. "I won't ever love anyone who treats me like property and tries to act like its alright." she cried. She grabbed the bow and scuttled away as Youko pounced onto Raden's back, shoving a flaming shard of wood into the wound in his collarbone. Raden snarled and sank his claws into the fox's shoulder, ripping him off his back, Raden slammed him onto the ground. The fox was stunned for a moment. Raden raised his foot to stomp on Youko's chest and break his ribs.

Koronue jumped on a shoot and bent it down with his weight; he let it bend back up and propel him forward like a dart. Wings spread, scythes drawn, the bat rammed into Raden's back, slicing his fur and sending him head over heels off the platform.

Gabriel struggled to stand up; her body was stressed and tired. She tried to reach an arrow from the quiver on her back, but the robe was in the way. Tearing the robe off, she tried to reach the quiver again. There were a total of five arrows in the quiver; one had been used to prick Gabriel and Raden's hand, leaving only four. Gabriel tried to string the arrow and pull it back, but she was not strong enough at her current condition. She needed strength.

Strength…

She pulled the bell pendant from her pocket and slipped it over her head. The effects of the tranquilizer melted away almost instantly, filling her with power. She was able to draw back the bowstring easily; she took aim and fired.

Raden landed flat on his back when Koronue plowed into him. The breath had been knocked out of him, but he was still able to stand up again. He faced Koronue, who was helping Youko to his feet. Raden made a move to advance on them when a white-hot burning feeling pierced his shoulder from behind. Raden howled in pain and whipped around. Gabriel stood with another arrow fitted in the bow. "That was for Toko," she shouted. Her second arrow flew into the wound on his clavicle. "That was for Youko," she shot him again in the stomach, "that was for Koronue," her last arrow was readied, "And this if for me." she aimed ad let the arrow fly straight, her eyes slid shut as the arrow went into his chest, piercing his lung. He fell forward, flaming and bleeding.

The fire Youko had started was burning out of control; the air was thick, and smoky. The pendant on Gabriel's neck had used up all her strength; she fell forward, exhausted. Youko had run up to her as she fell and caught her in his arms. The arrow on the floor and the ones embedded in Raden's body wrenched themselves out of him and magically flew straight back to their home in the quiver. A piece of the ceiling had fallen and crashed to the ground next to her; the sparks threatened to engulf her. Youko picked up her black robe and wrapped her up in it. He handed her Koronue; as the bat was about to flee to the skylight, she gave a small cry, "Don't leave Toko!"

"But he's dead." Youko explained.

"We have to honor him, please take him with us!" she begged. The pain and sorrow in her eyes was enough to make him melt. He nodded, "Koronue, get her out of here, I'll follow you with the boy's body." Youko ran over to the fallen demon and hoisted the lifeless form over his shoulder. Koronue flew up through the skylight and departed for the nearby forest. Koronue set her in the cradling branches of a tree and flew back to the castle to help Youko. Gabriel could see the flaming tower from her perch; she was worried for he friends. At last, they returned with Toko's body. The two bandits buried Toko beneath a cedar tree, marking his grave with a mound of stones.

Gabriel fell asleep before Koronue came back up the tree to get her; she was still bundled up in the black robe, clutching the fairy bow. The bandits had just enough reiki left to make a portal home to Reikai, near the hide out. The last hours of the night were spent cleansing them selves of blood and sweat and other impurities. Youko took it upon himself to take care of Gabriel and he brushed out her hair. He managed to pry the fairy-bow away from her and removed the quiver from her back. The moon was sinking below the horizon when she woke up. She looked into Youko's eyes as he laid her on a couch. With out using words, she asked him to sleep next to her because she was still feeling scared. He lay on the couch beside her and covered them both with a blanket. A few tears slipped down her cheeks, but he wiped them away tenderly. "It's good to be home," he said. She nodded and fell fast asleep.

Is the story over? Of course not! Stay tuned for more!

Plz r&r


	23. The Transformation

Chapter 23

The Transformation

The darkness seemed calm, and the shaft of light was a happy shade of yellow. "Well, done little one!" Her guardian embraced her. "You did it! I knew you could!" his dark eyes shining proudly.

"You told me you would reveal your identity after this ordeal was finished," she said, smirking. The man nodded, smiling softly. He stepped back, looking regal and dramatic in the yellow light. "I am your father." He said. Gabriel's eyes went wide, "You? You're my real father?"

"Yes," a pair of bronze colored ears popped out from beneath his hair, and she noticed a tail behind him, wagging happily. "You are…"she murmured.

"A fox." He finished her sentence. "Your mother is…_was _a fox too." His voice became sad. "She passed away when you were very small. Her name was Rachel; you got your beautiful hair and eyes from her."

"And you? How are you communicating with me in my dreams?"

"You see, I am dead too. I was murdered by a demon who wanted to get to you after I had sent you away to Ningenkai as a small child." He stated matter-of-factly. "But my spirit is uneasy so I am a ghost, unable to communicate with the living except through dreams or possession. Having been a shaman instead of a fighter in the living world, I have been able to posses a few people across Makai and Reikai, trying to finish my tasks in the living world and putting my affairs in order; I met Youko and Koronue the very day before they met you, I saved them from a Graveyard Guardian. I even possessed your friend Toko for a while."

"Then you made him-!"

"No, he made the choice to die for you by himself." A strange voice said. A young lady riding an oar floated down to the ground. She wore her sky blue hair up, letting her fluffy bangs frame her violet eyes. "Toko did not die in vain." She continued. She pulled a book out of her pink kimono sleeve an opened it to a certain page. "You are Mr. Seidou-seidou, correct? Your name means 'bronze-bronze', or 'path of righteousness-path of righteousness', or even 'bronze path of righteousness'." she asked the man. He nodded, "You must be Botan, pilot of the river Styx!" he said cheerfully.

"Bingo!" she laughed. Gabriel looked sad, "The River Styx? Is she going to take you away?"

"Yes, little one, I am at peace now, I have to go. I can no longer help you in your dreams."

"But I barely know you, I can't lose my real father now," tears spilled down her cheeks. The fox man hugged her tightly. "I know this is hard," he said, "more troubles will come in your life, just like every body else has. But you have grown into a strong young lady; you are very smart, and you have _another_ man you can lean on when you are sad…"

She looked up at him, "Youko…?"

"That's right. When your mother and I were still alive and together, we hid you in a human form to protect you; now that you are a fox again, you are much stronger. You will not need this any more," he took the bell pendant from around her neck.

"Seidou-Siedou, its time." Botan said softly. He nodded to her again. Gabriel clung tight in a hug, "I love you, dad!"

"I love you too, Gabriel. Maybe you inherited some shamaan prowess from me.Good bye." He stepped backwards, toward Botan, never taking his eyes off his daughter. "Don't worry about me, Botan will tell you all about my trip to heaven when you meet her in the living world."

"Shh! You can't reveal the future!!" Botan tried to silence him. Gabriel laughed, waving to her father. The shaft of light grew brighter, almost blinding her. She woke up.

She sat up quickly, disturbing the fox next to her. He rolled off the couch and fell to the floor with a clunk. Youko sat up, "What's wrong-?" he stared at her with his mouth agape. She gave a sleepy moan as a tingling feeling engulfed her.

Her ears began to grow pointed and shift on her head; they disappeared behind her fluffy rose-gold hair. She could feel her teeth grow sharper and poke the inside of her lips. An indescribable feeling came to her backside, a majestic golden tail cleanly sprouted and waved at her. She blushed furiously at it, touching the new limb with one hand. Her tail tickled, making her giggle. Youko climbed back onto the couch, watching in awe. His eyes drifted back up to her head as a set of gorgeous ears unfolded. They were a lighter shade of gold, and pointed smoothly into the air. They twitched and moved back and forth, rapidly. "Oh, my…!" she began to laugh for the first time in ages.

Youko slowly reached up, and then pulled his hand back shyly. "You want to see them?" she teased him with his own line from long ago. He smiled and touched her soft ears; Gabriel closed her eyes, happily leaning her head on his hand. Youko blushed, rubbing her ears gently. She flicked her ear out of his hand, and she opened her eyes. "I can hear your heart beating." She said, when in fact, he could feel his heart pounding quickly as if he were running a marathon.

The fox blushed even deeper. Her tail brushed his arm, he jerked. "Sorry," she laughed. "I can't control it very well yet." Both of their ears twitched, listening. Footsteps were in the hall. Gabriel hugged Youko for protection, making his face blush so red it was almost purple. Koronue appeared in the doorway, "Good to see you awake again- oh! Am I interrupting?" a wicked smile crossed his lips.

"N-no!!" the fox stuttered. The bat noticed her ears, and he stared. "Where did _those_ come from?" for the next few minutes, she explained about her dreams and the story her father had told her. Koronue nodded, "That makes a great deal of sense. Especially the part about the rogue in the graveyard, that's the very person who started this adventure."

"I'm a fox, too!" she cried excitedly.

"A vixen to be more accurate." He corrected. Youko seemed incapable of intelligent speech, so he remained quiet. Gabriel released Youko from her incapacitating grasp, "What do we do today?" she asked.

"Well, we could continue to train you-"

"Yay! The stick-of-death returns!"

"Actually, because your body has changed so much, we have to start over from square one."

"WHAT?!"

heh its good to be home, yall. stay tuned for more


	24. Starting Over

Chapter 24

Starting over

The vixen was running in happy circles around the bandits as they walked back to the old training area. "Weee! I feel so fast and strong! Being a_fox_is fun!"=-=

"Vixen." Koronue corrected.--;

"I have_fox_ears!"

"Vixen."

"And a_fox_tail!"

"Vixen."

"And a powerful rosy nosey!" she sang. : D

"Damn it, girl, stand still! One might think you were giving _us_a work out!" X- (

She laughed, "I can't help it you're tired."

"Of course not, we're tired because you got kidnapped by a psycho werewolf."

"And I'm so grateful to be back." She seized them in the biggest hug she could manage. "I missed you two." Tears welled up in her eyes. "We missed you too, now will you let us breath?" the bat gagged. -

"No," and she squeezed tighter. Her tail waved happily behind her. "And because I have returned, I must return to my old ways."

"What old ways?" but she did not answer. Gabriel smiled and put her finger to her lips, signaling her silence. Turning around, she walked the rest of the way to the training grounds ahead of them. Koronue turned to Youko, who had remained silent for quite some time. "Is something troubling you?" he asked quietly. The fox nodded.

"I went to rescue her from Raden because I love her. But now that she's back with us, I can't feel that feeling anymore. Its like our relationship is strictly platonic, with no trace of what we once had at all."

"Give it some time," the bat put a reassuring hand on the fox's shoulder, "she wants her freedom, and it was almost taken away from her, so now she has to be free. Coming onto her as strong as you did then would only remind her of Raden and drive her away. Just give it time."

Gabriel's tail seemed to have a mind of it's own. It moved constantly, swaying with the breeze, making a corkscrew and other shapes, or swatting her 'teachers' when they had their heads turned away. It didn't seem appropriate, but she had tied a green bow around her tail near the end, to keep her tail's long hair from flying away in the wind. Her ears seemed to be folded back quite often. Any noise she would not have heard as a human made her jump or yelp in alarm.

The training session was interrupted frequently by her scratching her ears or smelling the ground or playing with her tail. The bandits tried to be patient, and she looked very sorry each time she was reprimanded, but her new body was like a toy she could not stop playing with. (And not in the nasty way.) Youko finally threw his hands in the air in defeat. "You have to concentrate, Gabriel! You're driving us crazy." He cried.

She was sitting in the grass, playing with a small insect. She gave him a strange, questioning look and said, "How?" Youko ran a hand through his hair in a very human sort of way, an expression of confusion and exasperation. "Maybe if you understood a little more about yourself, you would not be so preoccupied." Her expression did not change; she was waiting for him to elaborate. 'I sure wish there was another vixen here to help her.' he thought. "At a certain time in a youko's life, they are taken onto the forest by a family member or close friend to perform a secret ceremony about growing up; it may help you."

Koronue began to chuckle, "Seeing as how you are the only other youko around,_you_have to do this with her." Youko paled, he was right. Gabriel stood up and walked toward him; she stopped and took his hand expectantly. "R-right, um…let's go, shall we then?" he stuttered nervously. Koronue burst into laughter. "Shut up!" Youko growled, though it had no affect on the bat. The fox lead the vixen slowly into the safer part of the woods.

When the cackling bat had vanished from earshot and view, Youko started to speak again. "Um, how old are you, exactly? I know it's rude to ask a female her age, but I am curious."

"Let's see…" she counted on her fingers the days until her next birthday. It was the end of summer; September was melting into October. Her birthday was in the middle of December, one of the coldest months of the year. "I'm almost twenty-one. How old are you?"

"About three-hundred…" he said meekly. -;

"Three- hundred?!"

"Almost."

O.o

"Old man…" she muttered.

"Spoiled kit…" he shot back.

"Decrepit know-it-all."

"Rotten whelp."

"Feeble fox man."

"Um…"

"I win!" -

Youko fumed, having been beaten by a mere kit one fifteenth of his age. "Where are we going?" she asked, changing the subject. Youko turned to Gabriel as they walked. "To a very calm and peaceful place. You and I must take part in the Journey, as some call it. It is a very special and secret part of being a youko. Its not very elaborate, but it reveals one's spiritual essence and turns one mind into a more mature one at a slightly faster rate than most humans."

"And you'll be with me?" she pulled his hand closer; the idea of the Journey scared her. Youko looked at her, smiled, and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It's nothing scary or dangerous, but yes, I'll be with you the whole time."

A river was running through the forest, falling over a stony cliff, cascading into a pool below and continuing on its journey. Youko wadded into the water up to his waist, waving for Gabriel to follow. She stuck her foot in the water timidly, and then jerked it back out, shivering. Youko called out to her; sucking in a deep breath, she plowed into the freezing water, splashing all over Youko. Water dripped from his ears as he glared at her. She was busy inspecting her fingernails at the moment, blushing furiously. He flipped his head, splashing her and went on with his self appointed task. "Basically, we're going to try and swim under the waterfall, and reach the caves on the other side, its more private there and_YOU'RE NOT DOING A VERY GOOD JOB OF HIDING, KORONUE!!!"_

Gabriel heard a faint 'shit!' and a tree's branches rustling. They stayed in the waist high depth of the water and worked up the shore to the side of the waterfall. The water was even deeper nearer to the falls; a snowy mist surrounded the bottom. Huge smooth stones were all that was left behind in the powerful waters; many different kinds of plants grew along the water and between the rocks. "I've been behind the falls before, there is a large heavy stone I wrap my vines around and pull myself through the water. This shouldn't be to hard, as long as you can hold your breath for a while." He said, conjuring a thick vine that slipped through the water like a snake. He paused for a few moments while the vine sought its anchor; it squeezed Youko's hand, signaling to him. "Good, now just hold on tight and take a deep breath, I'll make the vine pull us in." he slid his arm around her waist, "Ready?" she nodded and took a firm hold of the vine.

With a swift jerk, they were dragged under water. Even under water, they could hear the dull roar of the falls; the surface was rippling with the golden light of the sun. They were being pulled toward a dull gray wall of bubbles; Youko squeezed her waist tightly, reminding her to hold on. The force of the waterfall drove them down, down, down to the murky bottom of the pool; the water was even colder there. Gabriel was scared, but the bubbles tickled, driving her fear away. The vine was straining to pull them both up; they were running out of breath. Gabriel could feel Youko's reiki working on the vine, trying to make it go faster. The vine relaxed its grip on Youko's arm, signaling they were in the caves, but still under water. He let go of the vixen's waist and shoved her forward and up to the surface. Her head popped up, spitting a stream of water. She looked around for Youko but he had not come up yet.

The fox suddenly had a wicked idea. He let go of the vine, letting it float to the surface. He could hold his breath for quite a while; lets see how long it would take for her to think he had drowned? Gabriel was sitting on the rock ledge that was the equivalent of the shore. She had been waiting for several minutes, then she saw the guide vine float to the surface, with no fox attached. Her eyes went wide, "Youko!" she pulled the vine out of the water, flinging it to the side. He still didn't surface; she dove back into the cold water, searching, when she saw a silver shape in the water, slowly sinking downward. She happened to be a very good swimmer and trained in water rescue, so she went to him.

He appeared lifeless, a bubble drifted out of his mouth. Hooking her arms around his middle with his back to her chest, she swam up to the surface. Gabriel gasped, having to work hard keeping two bodies afloat. She hauled him onto the rock ledge with some difficulty. "Youko! Youko, wake up! Speak to me, Youko!!" she slapped his face a few times. He didn't move; she whimpered in fear, wringing her hands. "Don't die Youko!" She tilted his head back, ready to perform CPR, when he jerked his head up and pecked her on the cheek. She screamed and jumped back. Youko burst into laughter, but it was soon halted with a sharp slap. "What did you do that for?" she yelled. "I thought you were dead!!"

He touched his cheek where she slapped him; it stung. "I'm…sorry Gabriel…"

"That wasn't funny!! I thought I had lost you-!!" she glomfed him, crying loudly. Youko remained still, holding his hurt cheek, 'She was worried for my life…' he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. Her head rested on his shoulder comfortably. "I'm sorry, Tou-Koushin." He used her old nickname. She shook her head, pulling back. "Don't call me that, please." She begged, "It brings back too many painful memories. It was his name too…Toko."

He had lost the use of a nickname. Youko flattened his ears sheepishly while he thought. "Then…Gabe. I will call you Gabe, its shorter to say, and still as pretty." He tipped her nose, making her smile again. "Gabe," she said, trying her name out. "I like it." She flicked the water off her ears and leaned her head on his shoulder again. How long they stayed like that, he couldn't recall, but when he felt her shivering, he pulled her back. "We need a fire!" he stood up and wrung out his tail, "C'mon, lets find a dry spot to sit."

Thirty minutes later, a friendly yellow fire danced in front of them. The fox began the task of teaching her to properly groom her ears and tail; they ended up grooming each other's tails, though Gabriel's tail still had a mind of its own. "Are you done yet?" she asked, tying a big bow on the end of the fox's tail. "No! You have a lot more hair than I do!! It's taking me longer because I normally keep my tail trimmed short. Not to mention you keep flipping me in the face…" he grumbled. Her tail seemed insulted and_pash!_It smacked him in the face again.He had had enough; he bit the end of her tail. "OW!" she yelled glaring at him.

"Bad Gabe's tail!!" he wagged his finger. She tweaked his ear, "Don't bite me!"

"Your tail started it!"

"I don't care who started it, I'll finish it!!" Silence.

The fire crackled merrily as Youko gave Gabriel's tail the silent treatment. "What's the Journey like?" she changed the subject. Youko took her hands, "You become one with yourself and your spirit. You turn yourself into a strong foundation that nothing can shake. You shape your life from it."

"I'm ready, lets do it."

"Close your eyes," he commanded; she did so. "Concentrate on your spirit energy. Right now you can't control it, but that's what I'm here for. Now, just feel the control I have over my reiki," the fox let his energy flow through their hands, she could feel his control. His clothes and hair began to ripple as if a wind was blowing. "Keep your eyes closed." He reminded her. The reiki inside her was flowing unevenly; he let his energy mingle with hers, trying to calm it and make it flow steadily. Her reiki was making her hair and clothes whip around like a maelstrom. 'She's strong,' he noted. He tried again to make her reiki stabilize; the winds around them lifted them off the ground. "Keep your eyes closed, you'll sever the link." He said. She gave a whimper, feeling unsafe in midair. "Don't be afraid, I'm right here." Her energy skyrocketed, sending beams of light that pressed against the cave walls, snuffing out the fire. The fox kept a firm hold of her hands and guided her back into control. Her energy went down, so low it was barely detectable, and then became a regular flow like his. The fire came back to life. His energy withdrew from hers. "You can open your eyes now," he tipped her nose. "You're in control."


	25. Still human, Still in love

Chapter 25

Still human, still in love

The fox and the vixen stayed in the cave, watching the fire grow dim. "Say, I just remembered, you should be able to turn into a full fox too." Youko interrupted the silence. Gabe looked confused, "A full…fox?"

"Oh, you know, like this!" he regressed to a full fox, sitting expectantly in front of her. She stared blankly. He set his paw on her foot, 'your turn.' he seemed to say. "I don't think I can. Or will. I can't get the hang of this fox thing." Her tail waved in a tired sort of way. Youko transformed back. "That's fine, I was just curious."

"The fire's going out!"

"So?" Her lips began to tremble. "I don't like the dark." She whispered.

"You should be able to see better in the dark than as a human." Silence; with every movement she made or every thought she had there seemed to be a proper fox-way to do it all. She didn't want to change, she was scared, and it wasn't fun anymore. The fire was only glowing embers now; it had grown cold again. She gave a shiver as the last ember went out. She could hear some low growling coming from Youko's direction. Her eyes went wide even though there was not much to see. She saw him leaning against a rock with his head resting. She realized he wasn't growling; he was snoring from the way his head was positioned. He was asleep. She heaved a great sigh. 'What a relief.'

A faint bluish glow caught her attention; she crawled toward it, wondering what it was. She was right in front of the faint blue glow, she sniffed it; it was a mushroom. 'A glow-in-the-dark mushroom, amazing!' she crawled around, looking for more. Before she knew it, she was walking down a tunnel lined with the glow-rooms. The tunnel opened into a cavern, filled with the glow-rooms. They looked like the stars in the sky, only much bigger. Comforted by the lights, Gabriel sat down in the center of the cavern and sang to her self.

_When there's a shadow,_

_ You reach for the sun._

_When there is love,_

_Then you look for the one._

_And for the promises there is the land._

_And for the heavens are those who can fly._

_If you really want to,_

_You can hear me say_

_Only if you want to_

_Will you find a way._

_If you really want to_

_You can seize the day._

_Only if you want to will you fly away._

_When there's a journey,_

_You follow the star._

_When there's and ocean,_

_You sail from afar._

_And for the broken heart,_

_ there is the sky._

_And for tomorrow are those_

_Who can fly._

_ If you really want to,_

_You can hear me say_

_Only if you want to_

_Will you find a way._

_If you really want to_

_You can seize the day._

_Only if you want to will you fly away_

_Ooh go doe bay mwa_

_Ooh go doe bay mwa_

_Ah! Je voudrai voler_

_Comme un oiseau d'aile_

_Ah! Je voudrai voler_

_Comme un oiseau d'aile, d'aile_

_Ooh go doe bay mwa_

_Ooh go doe bay mwa_

_If you really want to,_

_You can hear me say_

_Only if you want to_

_Will you find a way._

_If you really want to_

_You can seize the day._

_Only if you want to will you fly away_

_If you really want to_

_You can seize the day_

_Only if you want to will you fly away_

Only if…by Enya© not mine TT

Unknown to Gabriel, she was being watched halfway through her singing. Youko had stirred and wondered where she was, and followed her trail to the cavern. His ears swayed with her voice as she sang, if she couldn't fight, she could certainly sing. He realized something as she sang parts in another language; she was French, that being the reason for her very peculiar name, and the rich way she pronounced some words.

"You should sing more often," his voice cut through her thoughts; she jumped. "If you were to pursue a career in singing you would become very wealthy." She blushed in the dark. "If I ever was aware of any audience, I would lose what strength I have." She put shyly. He walked closer to her and offered her a hand. She stayed on the ground, staring at the dark floor. "Are you alright?" he asked, she shook her head feverishly. "What's wrong?"

"Shh. Listen…" she beckoned for him to kneel beside her. He obeyed, cocking his ears in the process. Trying to make as little sound as possible, he whispered to her, "What is it you hear?" she grasped a loose stone, stood up and hurled it forward as hard as she could. A satisfying _smack _of stone slapping flesh was heard, and a very loud 'Damn it!'

"Koronue, you rat! How long were you here?!" Youko caused the glow-rooms to shine brightly in his face. The bat shielded his eyes with one hand and nursed a large bump on his forehead with the other. "Not long actually," he responded smugly, "just long enough for her to detect me and hit me with that stone."

"Damn you!! You can't stand being left out can you? You _have _to break the rules!"

"I didn't see any harm in coming…"

"One, you've broken my trust; two, I thought you were tired; three, I'm going to kick your ass; four, go away!!"

"Oh, trying to put the _moves_ on, eh?" Koronue winked at him, purposely exposing him to Gabriel. She blushed at this and the many words that I am not rating this story for that came out of the fox's mouth. Laughing his ass off, the bat finally went away. Youko sighed, "Sorry, Gabe, he can't help himself sometimes; lovable oaf." She nodded. "Want to know a secret?" she said tugging on his hand.

"What?"

She pulled him close and whispered in his ear, "I feel safer with_you_."

"Really?" he whispered back.

"Really, really."

"Want to know a secret about me?"

"What?"

"You have to guess."

"What kind of secret is it?"

"I'll give you a hint." He kissed her cheek. She jumped back, touching her rosy face. She stumbled back from him, "You like me?" her voice was shaking. He nodded, taking a step toward her, "A lot, actually." She kept walking backwards until she met a wall. The glowing mushrooms framed her face, giving her features an ethereal glow. He was close enough to touch her now; she looked scared, yet intrigued. "How much do you like me?" she asked. The fox moved forward, taking her hands and raising her arms outward, measuring with them, "This much," he replied. "Do you… still feel safe with me?"

She slowly nodded, her eyes sparkling. "Will you let me…kiss you again?" he asked. No words came out of her mouth though her lips were moving; she managed to nod again. Youko slid one arm around her waist and his other hand held her chin. He leaned his forehead on hers, smiling gently. "Still feel safe?" She nodded. He kissed her cheek again, but in a spot dangerously close to her mouth. "Do_you_feel safe?" she asked him, her breath tickling his face. "Yes," he whispered. She chose this moment to plant a kiss directly on his lips, surprising him.

"Hey, you didn't ask to kiss me first," he teased, "That means I can kiss you again." But he did not kiss her right away, he teased her by running his lips along her jaw and back again. Before this could frustrate her, he kissed her mouth firmly. She squirmed in his arms, but he would not release her. He had a feeling she did not want to break away. Shaking, her lips were freed. She could not speak; only touch her lips with her fingertips. 'Beautiful,' she thought. He grasped the hand on her lips and kissed it. "Gabe?" he caught her gaze, "I think I love you."

"Oh,my," she was at a loss for words.

"Are you frightened?"

"Not frightened, excited." He caught her chin again; he could feel her heart thundering away. "Still feel safe?"

"From you? Yes, from myself, no." she breathed, clutching his arm with trembling hands. "I'm still human on the inside."

"Then I can help you by secluding you." He stepped back from her. "The tunnel leading away from the mouth of the waterfall will lead you out of the caves. The mushrooms will lead the way, I'll make sure of it. Take as long as you need getting out."

"You aren't going to leave me here-!" he came close enough to caress her cheek.

"You need it, I'm not abandoning you; I'm helping you. See you on the other side." He stepped back and melted into the darkness.

"Youko!" No response. She was alone.

the story is not over yet!! be patient, it won't come for a long time now, so quit asking! you make me feel like i suck at writing! TT


	26. Terror in the Dark

Chapter 26

Terror in the dark.

She sank to her knees in the dark and gave a low groan. Her insides were mush and butterflies. The kiss Youko had given her had took a toll on her body, making her shiver in delight. After a few minutes, she stood up and began the journey through the tunnel. The blue mushrooms glowing along the floor lit her path so she would not stray into any water in the dark.

The vixen wrung the end of her tail in her hands, 'I shall never get used to this,' she pouted. Twenty minutes later, she rounded a corner and saw a spot of light ahead. Breaking into a run, she headed for the exit. The light came closer and closer; she tripped on a stone, wrenched her ankle and skinned her knee. Giving a cry, she landed on her palms and sat. The blood from her wound flowed quickly down her leg. Tearing a piece of cloth from her clothing, she bound her bleeding knee and started to walk again, biting her tongue when she used her hurt foot. The light slowly inched closer until she was outside of a small cave opening. The sun had gone down, the waning moon had rose; a sliver had been trimmed from its perfect circle. Taking one last look at the moon, she assessed her surroundings.

The area the cave opened up in was unfamiliar. Tall trees with hanging vines and moss made a sad and terrifying atmosphere. The air was stagnant and smelled of mildew and other decaying plant matter. Not a single thing made a sound. Not a bird, not a small rodent; nothing. Her imagination began to run away with her, conjuring up ideas about ghosts and zombies. She shook her head, 'don't be silly! Nothing like that exists! Well, if my father was really in my dreams, then yes they_do_exist.' The hair on her tail bristled, making it look five times bigger than it was; her ears folded back and she began to shake.

A pair of lamp-like eyes suddenly appeared in the trees in front of her. To her relief, the cool voice coming from it was one she recognized. Koronue had not quite left after all. "So what happened? Did you two kiss?" he asked eagerly.

"That's none of your business, Koronue. Shame on you for following us around! You nearly made me jump out of my skin!!"

He chuckled to himself. "Sorry. C'mon, I'll lead you back to the den." He offered her a hand, noticing her limp. Gabriel took it and they slowly went down the winding path. She noticed Koronue's wings twitching now and again. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm just very superstitious; I believed that ghosts lived in this forest once, and that was why its so grim looking."

"Ghosts?" she whimpered. "Are there really ghost out here?" she clasped his hand very tightly. Koronue shook his head, "No, I only said ghosts lived here because the idea seemed so romantic at the time." He tried to sooth the quaking vixen. Her tail had now puffed up to ten times its original fluffiness. He continued to scare her and himself with his nervous jabbering. "Though, once I heard of the spirit of a dead child creep up behind some one and lay its icy fingers on their shoulder."

"Was it here?"

"No, in another part of the forest, before Youko and I made it into a defense wall of monster plants. The village near here has a rumor about the spirits of dead people that were killed by the monster plants; the spirits of those dead people are said to wander around the forest, looking for the way out, but damned never to find it."

"Where did you hear that from?" she whispered.

"A priest; he was old and probably senile, but I don't believe a priest would lie." He whispered back.

"Do you suppose Raden is with them, looking for his bride? Oh, no! I shouldn't have said that, he may follow me here!!" her voice was strangled with terror. A crook in the path sheltered an old abandoned cabin made of wood. "Do you think the ghosts live in there?" her voice was barley audible.

"Maybe, maybe not. I don't think ghosts can fully appear with out a full moon."

"But its only _one _day after the full moon."

"Ghosts or no ghosts, we have to walk by there."

"Can't you fly us out?"

"I don't dare to in the dark, I might knock into a tree and break my wings. I can't see through the tree tops."

"We'll have to be brave then. If there are any ghosts, we can't let them know we're scared."

"Let's hold our breath as we pass; that way, we won't be able to shake."

"Good idea." They took a deep breath and slowly walked past the cabin. It was ten meters behind them. They felt light headed, as they had not yet let out their breath. Gabriel looked behind her as she limped along; the cabin was almost out of sight. She thought she heard a faraway moan, when the ground opened to swallow her whole, she squeaked. Koronue watched in horror as the earth gaped open and ate his vixen friend. "AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGH!!!" He screamed bloody murder with the suppressed breath in his lungs.

"Koronue! Stop that and help me out of here!" a small voice said. He looked down and saw she had not been eaten, but she had fallen into an old well and caught a hold of the edge. With his screaming ceased, he reached down and pulled her from the old well. Branches and leaves had fallen over the mouth, hiding it from view in the dark. "Are you alright?" he asked, setting her on the ground.

"I've wrenched my other ankle. I can't walk on either foot now." She groaned, clenching her ankle in both hands. Her tail had puffed to fifteen times its normal size now. "What should we do? Should I carry you?"

"No, I can't bear to move at all. You'll have to go with out me."

"But-!"

"Listen to me," she grabbed his hand and forced his chin toward her, "Run as fast as you can and get Youko; he can heal me enough to get me home."

"I can't just _leave _you here!!"

"You have to be strong and run _fast_, Koronue, I shall endure this forest; though if my imagination gets the better of me… I shall be forced to faint." She said fearlessly. Koronue wrung his hands for a moment, clenching his eyes shut; his eyes snapped open and he handed her one of his scythes. "Keep this in case you are attacked," he said.

"Go now!!" Gabriel said. He took a deep breath and shot down the path like a black rocket. The vixen scooted as far as she could away from the well and concealed herself between a bush and a tree. Sweat began to form on her forehead; her ankles throbbed painfully. 'Don't be afraid, nothing can happen to you if you aren't afraid.' she reminded herself. A cricket gave a single chirp somewhere to her left, her head snapped over to the direction it came from. 'Oh,_now_this forest has sound!' she thought bitterly. An owl hooted for a while, she froze; her tail bristled so much it was bigger around than her whole body. She sat bolt upright; a fluttering sound was heard directly above her head. O.o Her eyes glazed over, and she fell over in a lifeless faint. x.x

Youko was sitting outside the door to the den when his ears picked up the sound of a terrified yell. He recognized the voice as Koronue's. He was running as fast as he could, screaming at the top of his lungs. "YOUKO!! YOUKO!! YOUKO!!" the said fox stood up, watching the bat skid to a halt and stutter aimlessly.

"Sh-she, it- g-ghosts in the- fell in a well g-ghosts in the- hurt her- g-ghosts in the- ankle-g-ghost in th-the-" the fox gave him a sharp slap.

"What the hell are you trying to say?"

"Gabriel'shurtandshe'sinaforestfullofghostandshe'sallalone!!" being used to Koronue's blabbering, he discerned a few crucial words from that sentence and took action. He picked up a small pouch of bandages and a lamp and turned Koronue around by the shoulders. "Show me," he commanded and followed the bat as he tore across the woods again.

About twenty minutes after she had fainted, she woke up and saw a dark hooded figure leaning over her. "Koronue?" she murmured. The figure was massaging her hurt ankles in cool hands. No answer was heard from the figure. "Who are you?" she asked. The figure merely continued to ease her soreness, giving her a concise hiss. "Are you a ghost?" she asked meekly, her ears pressed firmly to her scalp. The figure turned its hooded head, not stopping the motions of its hands on her skin, and nodded to her. "Why are you helping me? Aren't you going to eat me or something?"

The figure shook its head quickly. "Oh, I guess not all ghosts are bad, right?" the figure nodded to her conclusion. She said nothing for a moment, and then something hit her. "If, you're a ghost, how can you touch me with out passing through me?" the figure stopped and took her hand. It brought her hand to the bark of the tree she was next to, and made her arm pass through it as if it were air. "How can I do that? Am I a ghost too?" the figure released her hand and shook its head, going back to working on her ankles. "Oh, I see! I remember I was once able to pass through walls, if I can become astro-projected like a ghost, then you and I can be able to touch each other because we are in the same level of existence!" the ghost nodded again. "Thank you…Mr. ghost. My friend went to get help and should be back any time now. You don't have to stay with me if you're tired of healing my legs." The ghost seemed not to have heard her, and continued helping.

A faint call was heard through the forest. It came closer to her and she was able to understand it. "Gabe! Gabe, where are you? GAAABE!!" it was Youko and Koronue to the rescue. "I'M OVER HERE!!" she shouted back. A beam of light lanced through the darkness, the ghost beside her hissed and slinked away to the shadows. The two bandits soon found her and pulled her out from under the bush. Minutes later, she was being carried by a certain fox, and fussed over by his companion. "Did you see any ghosts? Are your ankles still hurt? I should never have left you alone!"

"Koronue! Calmed down, I'm fine." She laughed. "But I did see a ghost…" Koronue gasped, O.o "You did?!"

She nodded, leaning her head against Youko's chest, "He seemed pretty friendly, like we had always been friends." And with that, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Suddenly, Koronue started to laugh hysterically.

"What's wrong with _you_?" Youko asked.

"You have a sissy bow on your tail, ha ha ha ha!!"

"Baka…"--;


	27. Forgotten Scion

Chapter 27

Forgotten Scion

And so the weeks passed slowly, Gabriel restarted her training and grew stronger. She would have to train harder than ever to harness her reiki again. She practiced using the fairy-bow, scythes, and even a whip, but the bow was her master weapon. The October air kept them cool while they all trained together, but sometimes, the early-setting sun would leave them in the dark, and the two bandits refused to stop even when the sun went down; it would shorten their training sessions considerably.

"Can we stop yet? The sun went down hours ago."

"Its only seven o' clock; stop whining."

"But it's cold, and I'm tired, Koronue."

"Ningen, vixen, whatever, a true warrior must brave harsh conditions."

Gabriel sighed; it was no use. Dead leaves were falling from the trees around them; clinging to their hair as they were thrown to the ground in turn. Her particular fighting style was strange, yet efficient. No motion was wasted; if she punched and missed, she would use her momentum to lift her self from the ground and kick with her knee. She just kept coming and coming. And having a tail let her balance in ways she never could have as a human.

The session was finally over. Youko, Koronue, and Gabriel were walking back to the hideout through the unguarded woods, each talking and poking fun at the other. In what little light was there, Youko's golden eyes suddenly attracted Gabriel's attention. "Your eyes; there's a mark in it."

"Hm? Oh, that's the mark we used to get into the castle. I guess we forgot to get it removed. We should track down Arden and get him to take it out." Youko began to scratch the side of his head absentmindedly. Gabriel stopped for a moment, and looked at her hand; the one that Raden had pierced with the silver arrow. The tiniest of a scab remained in her palm, but something drew her attention to it. In a fraction of a second, a piercing feeling lanced through her hand, up the nerves in her arms, and made her heart skip a beat in pain. She jumped, but remained silent. A flashing image appeared in her mind, a snarling werewolf with cold black eyes instead of red eyes.

Koronue had noticed her and stopped to stare. "Something wrong?" she looked at him with an expression that she knew something. "It is not done."

"What?"

"The task is not complete. Raden lives." Youko stopped and turned. "What did you say?" his muscles tensed up, an uneasy feeling had permeated the air around them, making them each shiver or shift where they stood.

"It. Is. Not. Done." The silence she rendered was deafening. Her ears had almost always been kept pressed to her skull, but she then held them erect and turned them outward; Youko however, had his ears folded down in the uncomfortable atmosphere. A small rumble came from deep in her throat; she wrinkled her nose in disgust and drew the string back on her bow with an arrow. Her next movements were barely visible, but a figure was knelt on the ground, bleeding beside them. He was a small goblin in a black surcoat. The emblem in his chest was unmistakable, the same sign as the doors to the Moon room, the von Wolfblut family seal. Koronue and Youko stepped forward, weapons drawn. Gabriel held her hands out, stopping them.

The goblin clutched at the arrow in his shoulder, "Who are you?" Gabriel asked. "A servant of the master von Wolfblut." He replied through gritted teeth.

"Raden is alive?"

"No, his successor and only son, Arden."

"Why did he send you to us?" she knelt to his eye level.

"He seeks conference with you three."

"What does he want?"

"He bids you to prepare for war; he wants to avenge the former master, Raden." He bowed his head; she reached to his shoulder and he jerked away. "Be still, I won't hurt you." He seemed wary, but obeyed and remained motionless. With a skilled jerk, the arrow was cleanly removed from his shoulder. Blood flowed from the wound; she pressed her hands over it, "Youko, do you have anything to wrap his shoulder with?" the fox narrowed his eyes at the goblin, but the look the vixen gave Youko was stronger. "He has done us no wrong, please, help him." She said. Reluctantly, he pulled a roll of bandages from the space in dimensions all foxes are able to use. He helped wrap the goblins wound, but jerked cruelly on the knot nonetheless.

"Take us to him." she said.

A large tent had been pitched just outside of the forest of monster plants. Guards were posted outside of the entrance; the little goblin signaled to them and the four were allowed to enter. Arden sat in a chair on the other side of a conference table. Something was different about him. The manner in which he moved and held himself was not his own, and seemed perilously familiar.

"Welcome," he hissed venomously. The three exchanged emotionless stares with him. "You might be wondering why I summoned you here." He began. Youko scoffed in disgust. Arden continued, "You three have insulted my family. You must all be punished, drastically."

"What gives you the right?" Koronue mused.

"You ruined my father's name, his castle, and left him to die in the Moon room; not only that, but you have something I want…" his eyes trailed down Gabriel's form.

"Why won't you accept that that will never be?" Gabriel said.

"I had hoped that you would surrender peacefully, but I see you are too stubborn and foolish to do anything right. She belongs to me, now that my father is dead."

"She will not be owned by any one!!" the fox growled, reaching for his whip.

"Don't even think about it; you can't possibly hope to defeat me. I am only half were-wolf; so I can change at will, not merely with the moon. I could annihilate you all if I wanted to. You have until dawn to make your decision." The lights in the tent went out, and they were suddenly outside. The forest stood around them as if Arden had never been there at all.

Spooky... plz r&r


	28. Decision at Dawn

Chapter 28

Decision at Dawn

"Raden was an abusive, hopeless romantic. Arden is a cowardly pimp. Both are arrogant and shrewd." Youko mused to himself, more than anyone else. "I say we just fight him. As far as I know, he is the last in that family's line; if he dies, we won't ever be bothered again."

"I don't want to fight, I don't want any more blood shed." Gabriel hugged her middle, leaning against the wall of the hideout. "If there is any way to do this peacefully…" she trailed off and sank to her knees tiredly.

"If Arden isn't bluffing about how strong he is, we don't have a choice."

"If that is the case, I still have the silver arrows."

Koronue paced back and forth between his vulpine friends. The clock on the wall read 1:30 a.m. "Did either of you see that look in his eyes? It's like he isn't himself anymore. He was a coward when Youko and I cornered him first. Something is different about him." The bat said.

"The look he gave me," the vixen shivered, "It was smug and lusty. I only ever saw that look from Raden."

"Hey," Youko straightened up. "How could Arden have known that Raden was dead? As far as I know, Raden never even spoke to his son before."

"So?" Koronue shrugged. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Maybe nothing, maybe everything…" the fox glanced over at Gabriel. Her eyes were wide, emotion less, expressionless. She sat very still with her arms drawn about her knees, as if watching someone. "Gabe?" She didn't answer, "Gabe," he tried again.

_"Ubil magus potis."_

"What did she say?" Youko looked baffled. Koronue shrugged.

_"Dominium venire." _

"I think that's Latin." Youko waved his hand in front of her face. The vixen blinked and shook her head, "Huh?"

"What happened? You spaced out."

"I don't know, it's like I was asleep for a minute."

"But your eyes were open, and you were speaking in a different language."

"What did I say? Did one of you write it down?" Koronue raised a piece of paper with her words scrawled on it hastily. 3:00 a.m. the trio dug an old dictionary out of a cranny in one of the basements and researched the words on the paper.

"Evil…magic…possess…power…come." Youko recited the notes.

"What does that mean, why did I say it?" the vixen wrung a lock of her hair idly.

"Remember your father said you might have inherited some shamanism powers?"

"You think I'm clairvoyant?"

"Exactly. We just have to figure out what you were talking about."

"You make that sound so easy."-.-

The group tried to piece together sentences and phrases with the five words, and had gotten nowhere in the span of four hours. Koronue had fallen asleep with a book opened on his chest. Youko was slowly nodding off in boredom. Gabriel had three sentences on her piece of paper.

Evil magic power possesses

Magic power, evil possession is coming

Come, evil magic power of possession.

All three sentences seemed to coax impending doom. Her thoughts wandered back to her more shady memories; when she had no hope. Raden was an evil, powerful, magician werewolf… 'Wait,' she scribbled quickly on her paper, directly translating the words again, "Evil…Magic…Possess…Power…Come."

"That's it," she whispered to her self, "Evil-magical possession. Someone powerful is coming…someone is being possessed by something evil. Raden is possessing Arden." She reached over and shook Youko, "Raden is in Arden!" she cried.

"What..?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Raden's ghost is inside Arden's body; he's using him to become more powerful."

"Are you sure?"

"No other person could look at me like that," she shuddered. "I don't want to fight him again," she whimpered, shaking her head and hugging her middle. "You won't fight him alone, we are going to fight together." The fox hugged her protectively. A beam of golden light streaked across their forms. The sun had risen; time was up.

They must fight.

Some of the words Gabe-chan says when she is in a trance are not Latin, please don't flame me telling me how wrong I am. I just looked in to the dictionary at the roots of words. Any wayz, have fun, I love you all!


	29. The Mark of the Beast

Chapter 29

The Mark of the Beast

With out any decent rest at all, the three trod bravely to the edge of the guarded forest, where Arden's tent had been pitched earlier. He stood alone, waiting. His eyes definitely were his father's and not his own. "What is your decision?" he said calmly, as if asking the weather. "You can go to hell, Arden, and take Raden with you." Youko spat. Arden's eyes darkened. "So you figured it out? No matter," he shifted his arms in the sleeves of his robe. He raised his hands as if giving up. "You really don't want to just give her to me?"

Their grim faces answered for them. "Very well, I will make _her _suffer instead of you two. Come, my servants." He raised his arms, Youko and Koronue jerked forward, stumbling as if being pulled roughly. "What..?" Youko hissed. Arden continued to beckon with his hands; the two bandits were helpless and could only obey. "What's happening?" Gabriel cried. Arden tsk-tsked, wagging a finger. "You bandits should never have let me make the Mark on you. You are helpless to resist the will of your Master as long as you wear the Mark; too bad my fool-of-a-son didn't know that, he could have saved me the trouble of dieing."

"Stop it! Let them go!!" Gabriel ran forward to protect her friends.

"Stop right there, unless you want them dead." She froze, anger burning in her eyes. "I own them, in every respect of the word. I am dominant, the master, and the owner. If you ever want to see them again, surrender yourself to me." Gabriel was about to open her mouth, when he stopped her, "Don't answer just yet, I want you to way your options. 1. Become my queen, or 2.die slowly in agony and grief. I shall return to you again, pet. Be ready with your answer then." Her senses darkened; when she was next aware, she was lying on the ground all alone.

Night had come again; she was alone in the hideout. Tears streaked her face as she sat; sleep lines shown under her eyes. "What should I do? Oh, father, I wish you had not left me! I'm so lost!!" she whispered to no one. She felt so weak and wretched. Like a person who had been raped; stripped of what was most precious to them. Her tears were forced away abruptly; she had to be strong.

"My father said I was strong, I don't want to make him a liar." She stood up and paced the room. If she could find Youko and Koronue and rescue them, they could defeat Raden and Arden. The vixen tried to use her spirit awareness and sense them. She had not restarted her training with reiki yet, though. Sighing, she tried to think of a plan.

Raden wanted her to surrender; but she could not do that. She had to save her friends without getting them, or herself killed. Raden didn't give her very many feasible options. "First and foremost, find Raden." she formulated a plan and ticked off the steps on her fingers. "Next, find Youko and Koronue. Then, free them and escape. Sounds simple enough, but the escape part." She crossed her arms; they would not be able to escape if Youko and Koronue were under the werewolf's control. She had to, some how, make Raden remove the Mark from their eyes.

"If I could just find a way to control him for a minute, I could remove the Mark myself. A while back, I could pass through walls, maybe I can walk into people's bodies; but my reiki isn't strong enough yet. I sure wish my father hadn't taken that necklace away." Her ears twitched, a soft knock was at the door to the hideout. Fearing the worst, she walked up to the door and opened it halfway. Arden's smug face could be seen in the dark.

"What is your decision?" he asked.

"If I come with you, will you let them go?"

"Of course,"

"And take the Mark off them?"

"What ever you wish."

"How can I trust you?" Sighing, Raden, using Arden's body, made the bandits appear. They were unconscious, and bound. Raden laid them on the floor and put his hands on either of their faces. When he took his hands away, Gabriel reached for them and checked their eyes; the Marks were gone. Something wasn't right though; they smelled like earth, even though their clothes were clean. "Come, my queen. We must away." He chuckled sinisterly, grabbing her by the wrist. She obediently followed him, tears pouring down her cheeks again.

_I'm sorry Youko, I'm so sorry._

6

I'm not going to make this problem last as long as last time they fought Raden


	30. Grappleing and Golems

Chapter 30

Grappling and Golems

Raden had led Gabriel out of the woods, and into his tent, that had reappeared. The inside was the size of a small house, and furnished with a wide area rug, rich furniture and softly lit paper lanterns. He made her sit on a long couch with him. "Why are you doing this?" she asked. Raden held her chin in his hand, "Because I am in love with you, I have been since the day I saw you. I just felt I had to make you mine because you are so perfect."

"Why did you abuse me?"

"I wanted dominance, just like every male in Makai." He took her hands in his, "I apologize for causing you pain and I swear to try and make it up to you. I want you to love me as much as I love you."

"I can't, Raden, I just can't."

"Why not? I can provide for you, love you, and make you happy."

"Raden, no. I don't want to be tied down like that; I still want to do a lot on my own. Being in a relationship would only hinder me: having to be around a person all the time, unable to associate with certain people, and constantly making sure I have the love of another. I can't live like that."

"It doesn't have to be that way. You can be as free as you need to and still be my queen. I won't hold you back or hold you down." His arms looped around her back, hugging her tenderly. "What ever would make you happy, I would do for you. I just want you to be mine." He kissed her neck gently. She shuddered slightly, but did not resist. His hands began to wander over her, pushing her down on the couch. She did not fight when he kissed her face, working his way toward her mouth. When she felt his lips on hers, she went into a trance like state. The world faded from her eyes, she was in a flash back.

Fire, smoke, burning flesh, screaming. A young man saw this from a far building. He raced toward the burning building. The young man had dark hair and eyes. He slipped past the guards of the building and ran though the halls, searching for the fire. He found the doors to a room; it was burning hotly. He kicked the door open and ran inside, toward the screams.

He saw a monstrous form in the middle of the floor with blood gushing from its mouth. The young man ran to the creature, kneeling beside it. "My son," it rasped, more blood leaking from its jaws. "You must save me, my work is not done."

"How, father? How can I help you?" the man cried, shielding his face from the fire with his arms. The monster coughed up blood; it spattered across the young man's arms. "Lend me your body; I can live in your body until I find another. While I am in your body, I can make you stronger; increase your life span; make you powerful."

"Hurry father, you are dieing!" the monster then began to chant an incantation between coughing. The fire threatened to swallow them both up. The young man cried out as a spark caught his sleeve on fire. The monster's mouth hung open, and a white cloud came out. Swirling around in the air, the cloud forced its way into the young man's mouth and into his body. He writhed on the floor, twitching and screaming. A beam fell from the ceiling and crushed the dead monster's body. Sitting up, the young man's eyes were changed to an even blacker color. He stood up and ran out of the room, letting it and it's contents burn.

His lips left hers, and began to kiss other places. She felt tears on her cheeks again; she didn't want this, but she had made a deal, and she could not turn back. 'Good-bye, Youko, I hope you live happily with out me.' she thought sadly. She would never see him again; she could still remember his sweet scent. Wait, it was there! Her eyes snapped open, she looked up at the roof of the tent, the lanterns were rather large; at least the size of a person. She looked closer; a shadowy outline was blocking some of the light. As if something was caught inside the lanterns. It was a human form inside of the lamp.

She shoved Raden off her roughly and stood up, "What do you think you are doing?" he snarled, rising from the floor. She backed away from him, and hit a table. She looked down on it and grabbed a knife from it. He advanced on her, eyes burning furiously, "You can't possibly hurt me with a knife." He growled.

"I'm not aiming for you, "she spat back and threw the knife. It flew upwards, and sliced the rope holding up the lanterns. The lights came down and broke, revealing what was inside. The two bandits had not been freed after all, but hidden and a spell was cast on them to make them sleep. "You lied to me Raden!!" she cried.

He shook his head disapprovingly. "You always have to ruin my plans with your love for these fools." He said, raising his hand to cast. Two figures walked into the tent. They were identical to Youko and Koronue. Raden made the originals awake and stand up next to their look-alikes. "If you can tell which is real and which is a golem," he began, spinning them all around in a great circle, "You may have them and return home. But if you fail, you belong to me and they die." The spinning stopped. The four figures stood still as stone. She slowly walked up to the Youkos. She looked into each of their eyes. They were identical in every way. Their scents were a bit different though; she tilted her face up and kissed the one that smelled like earth; no response. She kissed the one that smelled more like a being; he resisted some of Raden's controlling spell and licked her bottom lip seductivley. She smiled inwardly; he was the real one.

Turning to the Koronues, she looked them over care fully. Both were identical, right down to their red pendants. She looked at the hand of the earth smelling one; his fingers were wrapped loosely about the chain to the pendant. The other Koronue had his hand wrapped so tightly about the chain his knuckles were white. "These two are the originals." She declared, pointing to the said bandits.

"Are you sure?" Raden taunted her. His spell broke after he had challenged her, allowing the bandits to break completely free again. "If we were not real," Youko hissed, "would we kick your ass?" his rose whip appeared in his hand. "No, no, no" Raden chided them, wagging his finger. The golems turned to the originals and took a fighting stance. "To get to me, you have to over come your selves." He explained with a grin. The bandits wasted no time in fighting their respective opponents. Youko found it odd to fight himself, his moves were not predictable, but similar to his own.

The Youko golem attacked him viciously, throwing so many punches and kicks, Youko had a hard time dodging and trying to attack with his whip at the same time. "Rose whip lash!" he made an attack that surrounded his opponent and constricted, slicing him into several pieces. Each piece returned to being dirt, from which the golem was made.

Koronue had an easier time killing his enemy; his scythes were fast and came back on their own because of their shape. When his golem wasn't looking behind his back the scythes impaled him. Raden stared in disbelief, "How could defeat your selves so easily?" he cried.

"We are friends, we tell each other our weaknesses, and we just aimed for those weaknesses the golems had and attacked." Youko said. Raden began to back away, shifting to his werewolf form in Arden's body. The bandits tried to attack with their weapons, but Raden had enchanted himself to repel outside attacks. Gabriel ran forward and tried to hit him, but her fist passed through him like a ghost. She reached further into him and yanked on something inside him. Blood gushed from his mouth. "Get away, you wretch!" he snarled. She reached into him again, with both hands, and ripped something completely out of his body. She held a silvery white cloud in her hands, Raden's soul. "Go to hell, you bastard!" she screamed and threw the cloud on the ground. It immediately turned into a puddle of blood and soaked into the rug. It hissed viciously as it evaporated into nothing. The monster before her fell forward, with out a soul to sustain it, and died.

She fell to her knees, sobbing, "It's done. It's finally done." Her eyes went black, and she knew no more.


	31. Road Trip

Road Trip

When the sun finally rose, the vixen woke up. She was back at the hide out. The moment her eyes had opened, she was scooped into a strong embrace. She cried out as the arms squeezed on her, nearly constricting her breath. It was Youko, by the sound of the voice. "Thank you," he said, "Thank you for saving us."

"What for?" she replied.

"That werewolf line is dead now, no one will ever try to take you away from us again." she could hear his voice wavering. She saw his eyes brim over; he fought to keep his tears inside. She covered his eyes with her hands, "Don't be afraid to cry, Youko," she whispered. She felt his tears flow unhindered from his eyes. He hugged more tightly, crying silently. Footsteps echoed in the hall, "Koronue," she whispered. Youko was too proud to cry in front of another male, so he quickly wiped his eyes.

The bat strolled into the room, and he had a familiar strip of cloth and some pink substance in his hand. "Reiki training again." And similar to the past training sessions, she was blindfolded and her ears plugged. Her training was not as rushed as before; the weeks wore away again into the final days of October.

Gabriel stood straight as a pole, her hands balled into fists. The long grass of the training area had long since turned brown and become scratchy. A wind coming from around her whipped the grass around, making a satisfying crackling, like potato chips. Yummy…

"Focus on the power within." The bandits coached.

"I can feel it." She had her eyes closed tight.

"Try and force it out into your hands." The wind blew stronger. "I-I… can't!!"

"Don't loose focus!" she appeared to be struggling inwardly. The wind started to rotate in a circle like a tornado, making everything float upwards that wasn't rooted down. "Stay in control!" they shouted, clinging to the trees. She could barely hear them over the wind and her own screams. A small light glowed in her hands; it flickered and licked at the air like a flame. Slowly, it stretched and started to resemble something, but before it could take shape, it flickered and died. The wind ceased; various debris rained from the sky, including branches, dirt, rocks, and several boulders. Youko ran to her and had to pull her away from the field as several things were falling dangerously close to where she was standing. "Are you blind, kit?" 'Kit' being the equivalent of 'girl.'

"I couldn't do it," she said sadly.

"Try again later, its time to head in." they started to walk back to the hide out.

"Why?"

"We have to pack up."

"Where are we going?"

"_You _and _I _are going, Koronue must stay behind."

"Where are we going?"

"We'll be on the road for about three days-"

"WHERE ARE WE GOING?!"

"To a youko convention."

"A what? We get to meet more youkos?"

"Yes, and some of my family might be there."

"Do you think somebody from my family will be there too?"

"I don't know, golden youkos are as rare as hens teeth, even though it's the predominant gene when they breed. We'll see."

"Yay! Road trip!" forgetting everything else, she bounded down the path and into the hideout. The bandits stayed behind and walked at a normal pace. "How long are you going to be away?" Koronue asked. Youko shrugged, "Not too long I imagine; it will only take three days to get there and three back, the convention is only a day or so long. Sometimes families hang around longer."

"It's a pretty chilly time of year to meet like that."

"Mainly, it's a get-together to bear offspring, as mating season is in the spring. A lot of youkos who aren't mated or with young come to meet their friends and family."

"Would you and Gabriel fall into the non-mated category?" the bat gave him a sly look. An uncharacteristic blush came to Youko's cheeks, "Of course we do!"

Packing for the journey took up the remainder of the day. Only a few things were needed, seeing as how only Youko would travel as a full fox, but Gabriel was too excited to concentrate on anything. Koronue laughed wildly as Youko's frustration mounted. She finally settled down when the fox threatened not to go at all with her and leave her behind.

Next day: the vixen trudged along behind the fox. Trudge meaning sprinting in a sulky manner while Youko ran on all fours in his beast form. They started their journey at sunrise, much to a grouchy vixen's dismay, and had gotten past the village near their hide out and into the mountains by noon. "Not that I'm complaining," she started, "But how long will it take to get there? And where is _there_, anyway?" No answer. "Are you ignoring me? Are you mad at me or something?" Youko stopped and turned toward her, staring with his golden eyes. He could not use many facial expressions in his current state, but if he could, he would arch an eyebrow and say, "Isn't it obvious I don't have a human mouth to speak with?" a few more seconds of staring…

"You scare me like that, you know." She said, eyeing him warily. Feeling mischievous, he gave her a fox glare and bared his teeth.

"Eep!" she bolted away, Youko followed, snapping at her heels to herd her in the proper direction they were heading. After six hours of shrieking bloody murder and running as fast as her legs would carry her, which wasn't nearly as fast as Youko could, she promptly collapsed in a somewhat damp clearing near a mountain stream. "Youko's a frickin' meanie bo-bo head!" she cried pathetically, tears and sweat dripping down her face. Still having plenty of energy left, he barked, wagging his five tails. "What are you barking at? I'm tired! You chased me like the hounds of hell all day! Go away!" Burying her face in her arms, she sulked quietly.

Youko sat on the ground and cocked his head at a confused angle. 'What's so wrong about that?' True they had gotten to their daily destination, but he had also scared the crap out of her to do so. Females are so fickle. Approaching her cautiously, he put his paw on her head. She gave him a grunt similar to 'hn,' and acknowledged his presence no more. He nudged her again; she said nothing. Burrowing his muzzle under her stomach, he forced her over with strength not normal for a regular fox to have. She covered her eyes stubbornly with her hands. He jumped onto her stomach, resulting in her upper torso heaving upwards and a satisfying 'oof!'

Slurp! 

"Bleah! What the hell?" he had licked her right on the mouth. "Youko, you don't just _lick_ someone on the face! Its just icky; besides the fact that my face is filthy." He transformed back into his two-legged form, "You never complained about where my mouth was before." He grinned suggestively.

"PERVERT!" 

SLAP!

"What was that for?! Damn it, you hit hard!"

"I finally got rid of _one_ barking pervert, I don't ever want to have to put up with another."

"Eh, sorry?"

"Yeah right."

"I'm sorry! Okay, lighten up! I was kidding with you!" she turned her back to him and crossed her arms, sniffing. "I just can't let go!" she cried into her knees. "I have nightmares about him," she whispered. Feeling a fluffy moment coming on, he gave in and hugged her. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry; okay."

She nodded, wiping her face off, "I know; I'm acting really pathetic and spoiled."

"And it doesn't help you've practically got me wrapped around your little finger."

"Really?"

"Basically; I can't deny you anything," he smiled genuinely, "No more tears now, ne?" he tweaked her nose.

"Not unless you invoke them, you wicked thing!"

"Oh, Come on! I said I was sorry!" her giggles drowned him out. She walked over to the stream to wash her face off; he promptly shoved her in. Standing waist high in the tributary, she glared fiercely at him. He found it difficult to stand so he rolled on the ground, laughing as loud as he could. She finally managed to crack a smile, secretly formulating her revenge for later. Pulling off her slippers, she tossed them onto shore to keep them from being ruined. Thinking she was trying to hit him, he scooted farther away. "Hey, watch it!" he yelled.

"Sorry!" She giggled. She walked out of the river again and wrung out her clothes. "I really needed a bath, I got all gross from running and crying." A small gust of wind blew across her. Instantly, her knees clasped together, her arms circled around her middle and her tail tangled itself around her figure. "_Cold!_ Wet doesn't _work_ with cold!" she shivered uncontrollably.

Plucking a seed from his hair, Youko formed a bush with large broad leaves to use as a shelter. "C'mon, lets dry you off."

Sort of a pointless chapter, oh well.


	32. Convention Attention

Convention Attention

Much like the first day, the next two days were spent being chased by a silver fox, or being the fox, chasing the gold vixen. Needless to say, Gabriel's legs started to hurt. The wooded valley, in which the convention was taking place in, was near a large flowing river. Being near a source of water, and under the insulation of trees, the temperatures were not nearly as cold as any area outside the valley. "The valley shouldn't be more than an hour's walk away," Youko said, remaining in his two-legged form. "There are a lot of things I haven't taught you about being a fox that I really should have. It's an entirely different culture than the one we live in with Koronue."

"What kind of things?" she asked, pulling her short cloak tighter around her. "Well, silver foxes, like myself, are very rare and sort of revered. They're stronger than other foxes, but gold foxes, like you, are as rare as hen's teeth. They're the strongest kind of fox anywhere, and _highly _revered; though because they are so rare, there are not many foxes who take them seriously because some try to impersonate gold foxes."

"How could I prove to someone that I'm real?"

"Don't you worry about that; if some one tries to say you're a liar, you don't have to listen to them, but if they try to fight you, come to me." he said protectively. She nodded, "Any other things I should know about?"

"Oh, tons of stuff," she blanched, "but most of it has to do with how you move and where you put your tail around others of a certain rank, but you only have to learn all that rot if you live around a lot of other foxes."

"Oh," she loosened her hold on the green cloak around her. A rustle was heard to the right of the path. Youko twitched his ear in an annoyed manner, "Who ever you are, you're doing a horrible job of hiding." A person stomped out from behind a tree grumpily. "Kurama, you're no fun at all," the man said. He was a black haired youko with bright, attractive blue eyes. He cut his hair almost to his chin and wore almost all baby blue.

Covering her head with her hood, Gabriel walked a little closer to Youko than was necessary. "Hey, Blu," (a/n: Pronounced 'blue') he said. Blu wagged his tail, "You remembered my name! I'm flattered. Who's this lovely vixen you have behind you, hm? Another conquest?" Blu took her hand in his, "Hello, my lady, my name is Bluno, or Blu for short. By what name have the eternals graced _you_ with, my dear?" he kissed her hand, making her blush and shied away from him. "What? So shy?"

"She's kind of new," Youko put in.

"New? Oh, I bet she's really pretty under that hood; don't think I couldn't see you." He waved; she slinked further away from him. "Just leave her be, she's really shy. You have to let her get used to you before she even speaks to you."

"Ah." Blu stated, swaying his tail calmly. The valley was within view, several other youkos of various colors and ages congregated toward a series of youkos at small tables. "They're making us log in again? That's no fun. Every one knows where you are." Blu pouted. Gabriel looked confused at Youko, "Log in?" she asked quietly.

"They keep track of how many of each kind of youko come and how many families are here. Then they announce which families are here so they can find each other. Hey Blu, lets wait until the end to sign up, its more dramatic when they announce us last."

"Sounds good, anything to delay meeting my pesky sister." The black youko scratched his ear lazily. Gabriel stifled a giggle; if his sister was anything like him, Blu's family must be quite a deck. A few hours dragged by as Youko caught up on family news with his long distance friend. Apparently, Blu had a lot of family members; Gabriel didn't recall him taking a single breath. The sun made its way over the horizon, casting long shadows, telling people to find a seat if they wanted to see the sunset. "There! They're closing the sign-in tables, lets go!" Blu darted over to the table and signed his name in a logbook. Youko led the timid vixen to the tables. A brown haired fox with a gold ring through one ear sat behind the table. "Name and family name please." He said in a bored tone. Youko signed his name, the brown fox looked down at his signature, "The fox thief returns, eh?" he grinned.

"Yeah, yeah. Nice to see you too." He grumbled. He started to walk away when the brown fox stopped him. "Excuse me miss, you have to sign in, other wise you wont be able to find your family." He gestured to Gabriel. Holding her cloak tightly again, she approached him, "I'm not sure if I have any family left." She said, signing in. He looked down at her signature. She had written her name with flowing pretty letters, and somehow, the ink had turned gold when she wrote. The page glittered in the impatient sunlight. She darted back to Youko's side, where he rumpled her hood, "How will anyone from your family recognize you if you have your hood on the whole time we're here?"

"I'm a little afraid. Part of me doesn't want to be seen." She said, suddenly interested in her fingernails.

"You have to be seen sometime, someone might think you're another demon sneaking into the convention." She nodded but still held her head low. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close enough so Blu could not hear. "I understand why you're shy, but I don't understand why you _wouldn't_ be shy. You are a _golden youko_! You are the cream of the crop, the pick of the litter, quite literally. You should be _proud_, show off!"

"I don't know…"

"All right, suit your self; but keep it as an open option. Observe and learn." He walked over to a group of gossiping vixens with a dignified swagger; each vixen clung to a fox that had bored expressions on their faces. "Excuse me," Youko purred, "Can you tell me which way to the main meeting circle?" the males slightly paled and clung tighter to their mates. The females batted their eyes at him each trying their best to speak before the others. "Thank very much," he laughed, waving to them. "See? I scare people and I can bend others to my will."

"As appealing as that sounds, I prefer to be anonymous."

"Yeah, you say that now, but have you ever tasted fame?"

"Shh!" Blu shushed their bickering, "They're announcing the families!" Hurrying into a grassy circle of large boulders, they sat down and listened. The ring was twenty meters across, and packed to the edges with people. A few of the youkos were in their beast forms, stretched lazily on the grass to catch the last rays of the sun. The largest boulder was right in front of the sun as it set, and on it sat the brown fox with the gold earring. "Hello! And welcome to the seven hundred and twelfth annual youko convention!" he said standing up tall; several youkos clapped, even more barked or howled in cheer.

"I know you are all very tired, so I will try and get the naming of families over with as soon as possible. You can all help me by keeping the applause and or barking to a minimum." Several disappointed groans were heard. The announcer pulled out a piece of parchment from his pocket and read from it. "Three hundred brown youkos have arrived, including yours truly, and the families of Fa, Shang, Maruko, Donwan, Farore, and Darmani. You can all meet near the sandstone to the east in the meeting circle." A short roar of applause was heard until the announcer raised his hands to silence them.

"One hundred and seventy nine red youkos have come from the Nayru, Caro, Dolli, and Eera families. They shall meet by the white stones in the north." A slightly smaller roar of applause was heard. "From the families of Din, Carodia, Icis, and Gantu, come ninety eight black youkos; who shall meet at the black stones in the west." Blu stood up and gave a short whoop before sitting again; somewhere farther off, a female voice shouted, "There you are, Blu!" the announcer held up his hand for silence.

"From the corners of Reikai, only five silver youkos have gathered, all but one from the Reijei family, the last being the famous," he paused for effect, "_Youko Kurama!" _Several hundred female voices cheered loudly for several seconds before Youko had to stand up and shush them himself; he waved in each direction, giving a playful wink, and nearly half of them fainted. "The silver youkos may meet to the south by the boulder marked with an ancient spiral." Every one assumed the announcements were over and began to stand up and gather their things, when the announcer did a double take at the parchment. "Hold every thing!" he shouted frantically, the people groaned, confused and tired. "It seems a legend has descended among us; if it were not in black and white, I would not believe it but, there is a single golden youko among us for the first time in decades; a lone vixen, none other than the famed, Gabriel Purenard. She who was turned into a human and back into a fox again" A wave of murmurs spread across the field. Gabriel clung tightly to her cloak and scrunched down as small as she could beside Youko. "Where is she, then?" some one yelled. "Prove she's here!" said another, "Yeah!" several angry cries broke out and soon turned into a roar of voices. The announcer made frantic attempts to silence the crowd, but failed. Youko knelt down to the cowering vixen's level and touched her shoulder, pleading without words. She looked up at him, with tears in her eyes, "I can't." he leaned his head on hers, "Please? Just this once, some one will find out sooner or later." He petted her head soothingly. She looked around at the raging crowds and then back to him. She nodded.

He stood up and held his rose in the air, the petals soared across the sky, falling over the whole circle; the cacophony hushed and turned to look at him. Lowering his rose, he knelt to the figure near him and brought her to stand. He grasped the hands clinging to the fastener of the cloak, loosened them, and let the cloak fall to the ground. In the dieing sunlight, an ethereal glow reflected off of the single blonde head, shining gloriously near her silver partner. She held her ears high with dignity and grace. The crowds drew a collective gasp and fell deathly silent. The fox's left hand, while standing beside her, took the vixen's right hand, and his other arm went around her waist protectively. "This is she," he said.

"Wow," said Blu, "You're not just pretty, you're gorgeous!" he stood up smiling. Almost as soon as he stood up, several other youkos rose and came forward to inspect the golden vixen. They smelled her, touched her hair, and gave her tail an upsetting tug. She yelped and jumped into the air, several yards away she landed, only to be swarmed again by many curious foxes. "Youko!" she yelled, her arm was waving the air as she was practically tackled. Youko forced his way through the throng of foxes and seized her. He was able to jump several meters more than she and fled with her to the large boulder where the ear ringed fox stood. "Leave it to Kurama to steal the gold," one fox mused out loud. The hordes snickered and turned themselves toward the announcer's rock. Youko set her down, "You alright?"

"I think I'll live." The announcer studied the two for a moment. "Are you two a couple?" he asked. "No!" they shook their heads furiously. "Well, my good foxes, " he addressed the crowds, "She is here and she is real; a golden youko." silence echoed at first, then Blu started to clap. A few others joined in and the rest were won over. They cheered and barked. When it had all died down, a cacophony of casual talking ensued; they headed off to their respective areas to get some visiting in before shuteye. Youko hopped down from the rock and helped Gabriel to dismount. A group of red and black vixens approached them. Each was dressed in a slinky out fit of black or red leather. A black youko, obviously the leader stepped to the front of the group; she was dressed in red leather to accent her black hair in a ponytail and her black high heel boots. "So, you're a golden youko, huh?" she asked in a disapproving tone. The group of vixens was one of several fan clubs and tried whenever they could to get his attention.

"It is as you say," Gabriel responded neutrally. The black vixen put her hand on her hip and stuck out her leg, as her ice blue eyes looked her up and down. "She hardly looks strong enough to carry such a heavy title." She said to no one in particular. "Doesn't she bother you hanging around you like that, Kurama?" she flicked her eyelashes at Youko as she spoke. He was utterly unimpressed but decided to play with her for a while. He responded to her comment by draping his arm across Gabe's shoulders and said in his charming voice, "No, Carina, not at all; in fact, it's the other way around, I hang around her all the time."

"Why ever would you waste your time with a scrawny little thing like her? She's got no meat on her bones at all, if you know what I mean." She leaned forward to give him a 'good view.' He gave a chuckle, "Dearest Carina, don't you know it's not the size, but how you use it?"

"If you're as worth while as Kurama says," Carina narrowed her eyes at Gabriel, emphasizing how much eye makeup she wore, " I would like to _see_ 'how you use it.'" Carina had challenged her. Smiling sweetly, the golden vixen turned to Youko, "Sensei?" she asked for his approval. Carina's eyes went from dangerously narrow to insanely wide, "_You_ teach _her_ to fight?!" Carina had a history of pleading with Youko to teach her to fight. (And teach her many other _things._)

The fox nodded, obviously amused. "Of course! She is my number one (and only) pupil." He turned his attention back to Gabriel, "I believe you have earned the chance to prove yourself, as timid as you are, you could use some confidence."

"Please, Youko, you speak as if I already defeated her!" she blushed, lowering her face.

"I have confidence in you, even if you don't have confidence in yourself. Go on, have some fun!"

Carina was livid, "How dare you presume this scrawny little _whelp_ is strong enough to challenge and defeat me!"

"I dare because it's the truth and because _I outrank you!" _he gave a menacing growl, causing her to step back.

"We'll see about that, Youko. You wait and you will find that there are other fish in the see, _better_ fish than some _small fry_." She hissed.

"Yes, Carina, there _are_ better fish. Good day ladies." He said calmly, though his eyes flashed with a storm-like anger, and his tail had bristled uncomfortably. Putting his arms around Gabriel's shoulders, he led her away with out giving the group of vixens a second glance. Carina balled her hands into fists, "You'll see, Youko Kurama, you'll see." Signaling to the rest of the group to follow, she stalked angrily away.

Heh heh, Her first real fight! Go Gabe-chan!


	33. One Challenge, Two Fights

One Challenge, Two Fights

The warming sun chased away the chilly air in an oak tree. In its twisting branches rested Gabriel, twitching her nose ever so slightly in the morning breeze. She opened her eyes, blinking sleep away. Sitting up on her branch, she rubbed her arms to chase the cold away. She stood on the branch and started to climb higher on the tree. A snoozing fox was draped across two branches; his tail twitched a little as she climbed onto his branch. She poked him in the ribs; he twitched and made a small noise like a giggle. Her smile became very wide and she poked him again. _Poke, giggle, poke, giggle, poke…poke…pokepokepoke…POKE!!_ "Aaah!" his eyes flew open, he squirmed on his branch and fell off. Several cracking sounds were heard and a pleasant thump. Timidly coming down from the tree, she approached his still form.

Youko's body was spread out on the grass, in a strange pose; his eyes were closed tight. "Youko?" she poked him in the ribs, "Youko?! Youko!!" POKEPOKEPOKE!! She threw herself on him and wailed loudly, "YOUKO!!" he still didn't move. Sniffing, she cried on him. Youko cracked one eye, looking down at her. Her ran a hand through her fluffy waves. She looked up in disbelief, and then slapped him. "Stop scaring me like that! You don't know what it does to me to see you pretending to be dead."

"You were poking me in my sleep!"

"You didn't wake up!"

"You woke up too early! I'm still sleepy."

"Too bad, time to get up."

"Since when are you the boss?"

"Since you're wrapped around my finger, now get up." She smooched him on the forehead and stood up. He was powerless and obeyed. "Shouldn't have told her that," he grumbled.

Carina paced around the meeting grounds, her posse struggling to keep up with her angry pace. "The nerve of that girl, the _nerve!_ The weak little wench; barely out of kit-hood, thinks she can beat me! I'm a black youko of noble blood, mastered a katana and who is she? No one! No family, no roots, no strength, no reason for her to live! She isn't a golden youko, she's a fraud!" she sent her fist into the nearest solid object, which turned out to be an innocent tree. It swayed but did not fall. Carina hissed and stomped away to find Gabriel.

Youko had managed to locate Blu and his sister, who was talking his ear off. Blu gave him a look that said, 'help me.' "Hello, Red," he announced his presence to the red clad, black vixen. Red turned to Youko, "Hey Kurama, what's up? Seen any of your family? Oh wait, no body but you came from your family. That's kind of sad, I'd be so depressed if I came by myself. Hey! Who's this behind you?" she grabbed a hold of Gabriel's hands, "You must be Gabriel! Hi, my name is Redra, or Red for short. So you're the only gold fox here, huh? No family, not even any other gold youkos, how sad. I know what to do! You can hang with us! Kurama is practically family, so you are like a sister-in-law! Welcome to the family." Red hugged Gabriel, making a crunching noise. When her lips began to turn blue, Gabriel was released.

"You're quite the conversationalist." The gold vixen wheezed.

"Every body says that, but thank you; you're the only one who says it in a good way. I saw Carina and her gang talking to you; did she challenge you to a fight? She's really jealous that Kurama likes you more than her, she's been after him for years."

"Its not really a fight, its more of a… test."

"Whatever you say." Red said in a singsong voice. "But I'll be rooting for you all the way!" she grinned and threw her fists into the air, "Go golden Gabriel! Whoo!" several people turned and looked her way, giving her strange looks. The crowds began to part; a familiar group of vixens marched through, heading in their direction. "Oooh, here she comes! Go get'em, tiger!" Red lightly punched Gabriel's shoulder. As Carina approached, the overly decorated, shabbily clad vixen's sneer grew bigger and bigger.

"Get ready to rumble, kit." She spat, "our fight begins _now_."

"Should we not choose a more convenient location? Many people could get hurt here. There are women with child here."

"It's their own fault if they get in the way, now draw your weapon!" Carina's katana slid from its sheath.

"No! I will not endanger the lives of others. You will kill me before I let that happen, and where's the sport in that?"

Carina sniffed in disgust, "You're stalling."

"No, I'm not; let us move and I will fight you for as long as you wish." The gold vixen turned around and walked away to a safer location. Next to the meeting circle where they had meet last night, was a large open area lined with small stalls in which youkos sold things. A large round fountain had been placed in the center, with a marble fish spitting water from its mouth into the air. Carina snarled as she followed Gabriel. When the gold vixen finally stopped, Carina became impatient again. "Fight me now!!"

"I thought you wanted me to draw my weapon," Gabe said, raising an eyebrow. She turned to Youko, "I have not brought a weapon with me, what shall I use?" Youko plucked a piece of grass growing through the stones in the pavilion. Sending a shoot of his reiki into it, he split it in half and made two grass zanbatous. "These may bear the most resemblance to the staves we used back home, may they serve you well." He said.

"I shall make you proud sensei," she said very solemnly. Turning, she took a stance with the grass swords; her hands at her sides, slightly in front of her with the swords tilted up to a 45-degree angle. Carina lowered her sword to laugh, "What _are _you using? Those swords will do you no good against a katana! They're too big; and using _two_ zanbatous is just unthinkable!" (Some zanbatous are not as big as Sano's, from Rouroni Kenshin.)

"Lesson one: Never let down your guard. Always be aware of your surroundings; anything could pose a threat."

Carina scoffed, "Less talk, more fight." Charging, she made a thrust toward Gabe's chest. Gabe crossed her swords and stopped the katana by acting like a pincer. Gabe lowered her swords, making Carina kneel, who still held her katana, and attempted to cut her head off using her swords like scissors. Carina leaned back far enough to miss the blades and did a backwards roll to get away. "Nice technique, Split Rose if I'm not mistaken." Carina smiled. "That style has no offensive moves, though, you're fighting a battle you can't win, except if I get too tired."

"Lesson two: know your friends, know your enemy." The gold vixen spoke softly but powerfully. Carina charged again and made a horizontal swipe; Gabe blocked with one sword and smacked her with the flat side of the other. Carina used the offending momentum and managed a cartwheel. She knelt on the ground, her black hair ruffled. Gabe seemed unfazed from any physical exertion at all. Bringing her grass swords up, she slammed one down where Carina once was. The black vixen had rolled and stood up a few meters away. Carina charged, using more speed than ever, "Lightning-strikes-the-earth!" she shouted, making a series of thrusts and sword twirls. Gabe parried all of the attacks, never showing a bead of sweat. Carina stopped panting heavily, "How is a scrawny kit like you able to stand against me for so long? I'm a master of the Black Sting style!"

"Probably because I'm a girl."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because I am a girl, I am not interested in other girls, therefore, your slinky little (emphasis on little) outfit does not distract me, as it would a boy. You really aren't as good as you think you are." She could hear Red and Blu snickering from the sidelines.

Carina's glare intensified. "You think you know everything."

"No, just enough." Carina snapped; her sword moved so fast, Gabe could not successfully dodge all the blows. Carina scratched her face and neck, meaning for those little wounds to be lethal. After a few seconds, Carina stopped, panting. "How was that, kit?" Gabe held her swords in Split Rose position again. "Exhilarating, and challenging; my complements to your speed."

"Thank you, you're not as weak as you seem. I know you're getting tired, I can feel your reiki flickering. It's taking nearly all you have to avoid my blows."

"Lesson four: never let them see you sweat."

"Lets continue." Carina raised her katana, "Your turn, come and get me." Gabe tightened her grip on the swords and charged. Leaping, she brought both words down, touching the flats together in an X shape, on Carina. Carina waited for her to strike and thrust her katana to the hilt into the center of the X. her blade cut through the blades and nearly impaled Gabe in the chest had she not been stopped by the hilt of her sword. She could not move her blades, nor could Carina move hers. "It seems we have reached an impasse." The tip of the katana blade was pressed into Gabe's chest, but no breaking the skin. She thanked her genes for making her a skinny girl with long limbs. "It seems so," Carina replied. "But because my sword could go through yours, it makes me wonder if I could do _this_," she sliced upward and reduced the zanbatous to half their length and freeing her own sword in the process. Gabe stumbled back in surprise; Carina seized this opportunity and attacked. She seemed like she had the upper hand when the katana was flipped out of her hand and landed a few feet away. The grass blades were pressed to her throat. "Yeah!" Red shouted in triumph. The red and black vixens in Carina's group had gasped. They were panic stricken. They whispered among them selves, "Could we all take her on at once? That way, Carina would not get killed."

"You stay where you are!" Carina hissed, not taking her eyes of Gabe's. "Go ahead; kill me, kit. You earned it."

Trembling slightly, Carina waited for death. But Gabe hesitated. She couldn't kill her. She could. Not. Kill. Her. Carina saw a bead of sweat trickle down her face and fall to the ground, and a smile spread across her lips. "You don't have it in you, do you? You don't have the guts." She hissed. Gabe twitched slightly. Carina laughed an evil laughed and stepped away; she retrieved her katana and turned to face her again. "Its time to end this, kit. You sicken me with your weakness, that you expect me to revere you because you are a golden youko. How you were born doesn't count for sh!t, not even if you're of noble blood. It's all about being strong and staying alive, and to do that, you have to kill others who try to kill you. So its time for you to suffer."

"Carina, don't!" one of the red vixen's called out from her group. "She was able to disarm you so easily-"

"So what? She can't do any damage! She's weak! I will not be defeated by some soft little snot nosed kit!" Carina roared, making her group step back a little. She turned back to Gabe, " Rain of Swords!" she cried, her arm seemed to vanish her sword was moving so fast. The air was singing with the sounds of blades. Gabe was cut several times on her arms and sides. 'I can't let this go on,' she thought. 'I couldn't bear to have to kill her.' Giving an abrupt battle cry, she brought her swords up, knocking Carina's away, she slammed one blade down so hard she had to drop to her knees to maintain the momentum. Carina raised her blade to block it and put her other hand on the blunt side of the sword to brace it. A deafening ring shocked very fox with several hundred meters. With her other blade, Gabe swung her arm behind Carina's legs and buried the sword in her calves. Carina screamed and fell, dropping her sword. She held her bleeding calves, crying in pain. She had been ham-stringed.

Panting, Gabe fell back on the ground, propped up on her elbows. She dropped her swords and crawled over to Carina. She looked up at Carina's posse, who had been staring in shock. "Help me get her to a healer." She said, pleading. They didn't move for a moment, and then the red fox that had tried to stop Carina ran forward. One other black vixen ran forward, and another, and another red one; soon the entire group was holding some part of Carina's body and was carefully carrying her away. The healers were not far away and set to work on the severed muscles and tendons.

Gabe sat outside of one of many medical tents that served as small hospitals; many vixens were due to deliver, so they had come along to help. Bandages were dotting her arms and sides and shoulders. The flap of the tent opened, a healer walked out, "She'll be alright. Her legs should heal just fine and be able to use them again normally after a few weeks, a month or so tops."

"Can I go in and see her?"

"Sure, just make it brief." He held the tent flap open for her. Gabe walked into the tent. Carina was lying on a futon on the ground. The black vixen's eyes glared daggers at her. "What do you think you are doing here?"

"To be honest, I really don't know." Gabe said. Carina looked confused. "What?"

"I feel like I should apologize, but that would only insult you, would it not? I know half the things you said out there you only said because you were angry at me and frustrated because I was a greenling, but half of the things you said were true. I am weak, weak at heart and in mind. It's true, I can't kill, I'm too much of a coward to take another's life, or even to cause them pain. But I caused you pain because I did not want to have to cause you greater pain. I knew you would not stop so I had to stop you; Youko would most likely have murdered you if you killed me, I didn't want that to happen."

"So you think you did something noble, by trying to save my life? Don't be so overconfident."

"No, that's something that you do, Carina. I repeat that I have no idea why I am talking to you. I know you will always hate me now. I will not try to change that, because that would be even more cowardly of me. I just want you to know I really don't think I am better than anyone else. I _am_ a weak, ignorant child. But you have a weakness too, your sense of righteousness and pride. Know that and live with it or change it. Maybe you will realize you hate me for some deeper reason or really for no reason at all." She stood up and exited the tent, leaving Carina to her thoughts.

Youko was waiting for her outside. "Hey, you alright?" she lowered her head and walked slowly away, "Peachy, just peachy." She kept walking until she had reached the oak tree were they slept. Youko ran up to her, "You beat her didn't you? What's the matter?" she punched him weakly in the chest, "I didn't want to hurt her, I was just doing what you said, but I hurt her very badly!!" he reached out to steady her as she swayed dangerously. "Don't make me fight, I'll never be like you."

"I don't understand, why-?"

"I can't cause people pain without feeling it myself! I'm not like you, I feel everything, from both sides."

"You could feel her wounds?"

"Not literally, I feel the shame I've brought her. It won't go away."

"So what? She deserved it, she won't fight you again."

"You don't understand at all, do you?" she pulled away from him. "You _like _bloodshed. You _like_ to kill. Koronue too."

All emotion began to drain from Youko's face. He let go of her, to let her stand on shaking legs. "Its kill or be killed in Makai, just like Carina said. We've all grown up in that slaughterhouse of a world. And yes, I do enjoy bloodshed and stealing, fighting, its part of who I am. I used to kill for fun, but ever since I met you, killing has lost its thrill. But it isn't the end of me killing people; I will probably kill people in the future, as I have in the past. No one can change that, not even you." She drew her fist to her mouth and her other hand to her chest as he spoke. "Violence is a part of the world just like peace is, one cannot exist without the other." He gently pried her hand away from her mouth. "You are peaceful. So I must fight for you, to protect you…" he embraced her, cradling her neck in one hand. "Because…I love you." A moment of silence rang between them. The vixen reached up and pulled his head down so she could whisper in his ear, "I love you too, Youko Kurama." Their lips drew closer together…

"Aaaaw, how cute!" Red cooed from behind the oak tree near where they were standing. "Damn it, Red!!" Youko roared.

hee hee

this next chapter has the romance you've been begging me for. sadly its one of the last chapters in this story.


	34. The Dance

The Dance

"Damn it Red!" Youko roared.

"Hey, it was Blu's idea."

"Traitor!" Blu yelled, clocking his sister on the head. "Ouch! Quit that, you dork! Or I won't let you take me to the dance."

"Lucky me,"

"That's it!" Red pounced on Blu, they rolled on the ground, cursing and kicking, biting, punching and pulling hair. Youko sweat dropped, "I forgot all about the dance!"

"There's a dance?" Gabriel twitched her ears forward in interest.

"Yep, and _you're going!" _Red was suddenly standing again with an evil smile; she rubbed her hands together. "I'm dressing you up, and Blu is dressing Youko up. You two have to be a _couple _for the Forest waltz."

O.o O.o

"Forest what?" The gold vixen took a step back from the approaching black vixen. "The dance between couples, like siblings, or _lovers_."

"We are not lovers!" (

"But we heard you say you loved each other."

"So? The only thing that would make us lovers is if we-!" she stopped and blushed. Red laughed evilly, "Come, my dear, we must prepare you for tonight." Seizing her by the hand, Red led Gabriel away. She looked back at Youko being dragged forcefully away by Blu.

The night had come; the stone pavilion of the mini-market was surrounded with silver torches. Even though it was November, it was quite warm in the valley with several pale fires. The guests had all taken a seat around the edges of the pavilion. The musicians tuned their instruments, letting the soft singing of harps, flutes, chimes, and many other things set a background noise. Red had donned herself in a frilly red dress with a slit on the right going up to her hip. She wore a pair of wrist length gloves and a tiara to top it all off. She was tugging a less than willing vixen into the pavilion. Gabriel finally gave in but ducked under Red's skirts and hid behind the red lace. "Honestly Gabriel, you're being very childish."

"I don't want to be seen like this!" said vixen whined from somewhere near Red's knees. "You look great, what's to be embarrassed about?"

"It's so revealing, though! The last time I was this naked in public, I was coming out of a uterus!"

"That's a little more than I needed to know...--; if you don't get out of there right now, I'll make sure you _are_ completely naked!" Whimpering pathetically, Gabriel crawled out from beneath Red's skirts. She stood up and allowed the black vixen to fix her attire and hair from being rumpled. She wore a snowy white dress that hugged her sides, and the fabric seemed to become more transparent as it went down to her ankles. The dress had no sleeves, and a burst of golden gems on the front. White arm length gloves shielded her hands, and a veil hung over the back of her hair. "See? You look great!"

"I don't know...I just don't think I'll look very good out there," she gestured to the middle of the pavilion. "I'm not used to off-shoulder dresses, what if it falls down?"

"In case you haven't noticed during puberty, there are a couple reasons that dress isn't going anywhere." Red leaned her chin on her hand for a moment, "Something's missing though. Oh, I know!" Red pulled off one of her sashes and tied it around Gabriel's tail. The saucy red bow seemed to give her confidence; she stood up straight and tall. "Come on Red, let's party!" she said, dragging the black youko away. "Split personality..."

Blu was at the other end of the pavilion, coaxing a stubborn Youko to come out of a tree. "I'm not coming down until I see her!" he growled. Blu lifted his palms up in a peace gesture, "At least try and mingle a little; you know a lot of people want to talk to you, it's rude to just ignore him."

"I don't want to talk to them, I wanna find Gabe!!"

"Brat." An acorn hit Blu between the eyes. Blu had dressed himself in a pale-blue sleeveless-tunic and baggy pants. Youko blended into the night wearing a midnight blue Chinese shirt with slits up the sides, and leggings. A flutter of white brushed his cheek, he turned to see the gold youko perched beside him. "What are you doing here, sitting like a wall flower?" she asked, folding her hands in her lap.

"Just waiting for the butterfly to come draw me elsewhere." He offered her his hand as he stood on the tree branch. She took his hand and was lifted into his arms, bridal style. The tree branch gave a groan and bent low; Youko slid off the branch and onto the ground, (Fred Flinstone style) holding her protectively. When he set her back onto solid ground, Red approached her brother. "Shall we dance?" Blu offered. Red hooked her arm around his and they walked away. Youko and Gabriel followed suit and slipped through the crowds.

The musicians began to play; a lively tune filled the air. The dance was simple enough at first; spin with your partner, cross paths with another couple, perform a few simple steps, spin again and change partners. Youko and Gabriel were separated, but the dance picked up speed as the music raised tempo. They crossed each other again, joining and separating. The music reached a steady fast tempo, unchanging for a while. Youkos ran back and forth, across, and around each other; spinning, jumping, laughing out loud. The steps became harder as they got faster, some one fell down, dragged the person next to them with them, and that person grabbed someone else; soon the whole crowd was on the ground laughing. The music ceased, the crowd cheered.

A new, softer song began; some people stayed while others turned to the sidelines to rest for a moment. Red and Blu holding either of her arms supported Gabriel. "Not bad for your first dance. You've got a lot of energy." Blu said, allowing her to sit on a short stonewall that served as a bench encircling the pavilion. She couldn't stop giggling, "That was so much fun, I can't believe we _all_ fell down!" the gold youko fanned her face. There they sat, talking for a while and gaining back their energy. A red clad black vixen approached them. It was the second-in-command to Carina's gang. "Gabriel?" she addressed the gold vixen. Said youko looked up at her, "Yes?"

"Follow me, if you would please, someone wishes to speak with you." The black youko led her away to a more remote part of the pavilion, nearest to the exit that led to the healers' tents. Carina sat on the stonewall bench, her calves wrapped tightly in white gauze. "Ah, so you came to the dance, did you?" Carina mused with a peaceful smile. Gabriel folded her hands shyly and bowed her head; some of the others in Carina's group gave her mean looks, and others looked at her endearingly. "I've been thinking about what you said," Carina itched her ears lazily, her tail curled in her lap. "You're a just and strong fighter, whether you violence or not. I like that, my gang strives to be protectors of the weak wherever we are; we're like a family of ninja's living in the light instead of the dark. Sometimes we abuse our authority, but then again, we all make mistakes. Just like me; I succumbed to anger. Emotions should never enter the ring; I learned that the hard way."

"Carina," Gabriel looked confused, "why are you telling me this?"

"I want to make you part of the Vixen Guard."

"Me? I thought you hated me."

"I do," Carina said lightly, bobbing her head halfheartedly, "but I like your style, kit. So, what's your answer? You don't have to travel with us if you don't want to, but being part of a group in any realm is some form of protection." Now she understood; though Carina had a grudge against her, she was looking past that and thinking for the sake of her group, like a true leader. Carina wanted to protect her so nobody could kill her before she inflicted her small revenge. She laughed softly, "I would be honored." She bowed slightly to her new leader.

"Good; here, take this badge, its proof of membership. Don't lose it because it's the only one you get." She handed Gabriel a red and black circle with a fox's head carved on it

"Thank you Carina," with out warning, Gabriel threw her arms around the black vixen in an attempt to strangle her in a hug. After a few seconds, Carina pulled her arms from around her neck.

"Yeah, yeah, mushy love to you to; now get lost, I still hate you for being Kurama's favorite and I'm plotting my revenge for beating me." this made the gold youko laugh as she walked away. "See you round, Carina."

"Later kit." Crazy, abusive, overbearing; but a big softie underneath.

Gabriel walked back to the crowds, staring up at the stars. A pair of hands reached out; one hooking over her arms and trapping them behind her back, the other covering her mouth. She was dragged off the path and into the shadows. Quickly breaking free, she bit the hand and pounced on her attacker. "Have a nice chat?" Youko smiled innocently. "Quit stalking me, you ninja wannabe." She sat comfortably on his stomach with her legs folded in a lady-like manner. "I annoy you because I care." He said matter-of-factly.

"Aww!" she stroked his bangs. "Want to dance again?"

"Yes, but not so close to the others, in a more..._private_ place."

"Oh?" she stood and took his hand. "Lead me, then." The fox led her just outside the pavilion, directly behind the musicians so as not to miss their sounds. A sliver of the moon cast some light, and where it failed, the stars joined in. Youko took a position and held out his arms for her to align in. She took a ballerina-like stance at awaited his next move. He spun her around on her toes, and then lifted her up and spun some more. The musicians played masterfully, letting the two become lost in the long grass around them.

Circling his arms around her back and waist, he let her do the same to him. Leaning their heads on each other, they moved in an odd circle, doing a slow dance any couple knows. "Gabe," he murmured contently, just tasting the name. "Youko?" she answered.

"I want to know something, do you...love me? Really love me?"

"Yes, I do."

"Do you really mean that? We've been through a lot together, but I'm still a thief, a person who steals and kills, and what if I don't change?"

"I still love you no matter what, its not what's on the outside. I'm drawn to your very soul, my father was right in choosing you as my other half." She paused for a while, leaning on him, then she raised her head. "What about you, do you really love me?"

He hugged her very tightly, "With every fiber of my being. I want to be around you all the time, not just because I feel the need to protect you, but you make me truly happy. No amount of killing, stealing, drugs, sex-or _any _of that could _ever_ make me more content. I just want to be around you," he drew her back and held one of her hands and cupped her face in the other, "in fact, I wouldn't say no to _spending the rest of my life with you."_

"What are you saying, Youko?" butterflies swarmed in her chest, a grin tugged insistently on her unmoving face.

"I'm saying I want you to marry me, Gabriel Purenard...will you be my wife?"

She didn't answer right away. Her head began to spin. "I don't know, there's still alot I want to do before I settle down, Youko. I'm not ready to stop."

"I'm not asking you to change your life in any way; I'm asking you to be my lover and only mine, as I will be yours and only yours. But if you say no..." she froze, he was laying down consequences? Just like Raden, no not again!

"...Then thats fine by me." he sighed sadly. What's this? No boundries? No consequences? Nothing? He truly respected her and wanted her to be free, what ever she chose...

"Youko,"

"Yes?"

"Be mine, and I'll be yours."

"So you're saying-"

"Yes, I will marry you!"

"Yes!" he shouted to the stars and spun around and around with her. They laughed and fell down. He pulled her into a kiss, much deeper than the others, so much more passionate. Using nearly three hundred years of experience, he coaxed her lips to part and let his tongue dance in her mouth. He made her groan and dig her little claws into his arm. She was at his mercy, and he showed none; taunting her, making her lust for more, then he stopped.

"Gabe, we have to mark each other."

"Mark? Like Raden marked you and Koronue?"

"No, there's no magic or anything special, it's just a bite on the shoulder. It shows others that you have a mate, so they won't come onto you."

"Will it hurt?"

"A little, but it's just to break the skin, nothing to serious." She pulled his head closer to her neck, "Go on," Timidly, he nuzzled her neck, searching for just the right spot. On her left collar, he sank his teeth into her skin, causing her nails to embed themselves even deeper into his skin. he didn't bite very deep, but it hurt like hell! Gritting her teeth, she released her grip on his arms. It ached alot, so she bit him back. Back and forth they growled, taking out thier pain on each other, until the vixen yeilded and drew back. "Sorry, Gabe, but that hurt."

She laughed, tears forming in her eyes. He hugged her, "Now you are_ mine_," he growled possessivley, but his hands were gentle, "And I am yours."

"I love you, Youko."

"I love you too, Gabe, and I always will."

Aaw! They're in love, so kawaii. sorry i haven't gotten off my butt in a while. School has been kicking it. I'm working on the next chapter as we speak. Ja! Huggles!


	35. Last Embrace

Chapter 35

Last Embrace

The light of the stars had waned and the eastern horizon glowed a pink color. The last day of the convention was starting, and families and friends said their good-byes to one another. But a little ways off, lying in the long grass, were two sleeping foxes yet to be disturbed by the morning. The long blades hung over them like a roof, keeping their warm breath from escaping. Youko and Gabriel were curled up in each other's arms, sleeping deeply.

A small breeze rustled a particular blade of grass laden with a large dewdrop. The small orb of cold water fell from its ledge and struck the fox on his ear. He jerked, flicking his ears. Raising his head, he saw the pink sky above and smelled the morning air. He yawned lazily, and then nudged his mate. "Gabe, its morning," he said softly, petting her hair, still too grand for her face. Said vixen twitched her nose and sighed but did not move. He didn't want to disturb her adorable state, but he feared Red and Blu would come hunt them down. 'They're so embarrassing, but hey, we grew up together.' He nudged her again, "Gabe, wake up, I don't want to run into Red and Blu."

"Red…" she muttered, "mmm, Youko." she latched onto his arms. 'Stubborn,' he chuckled to himself. He sat up, forcing her up with him. The disturbed blades of grass released the drops of dew on them and fell on her. "Brrrrrr! Oh, that's cold!"

"Morning dew usually is." The fox picked her up and carried her. "_Huntian_ _attaquer unti destruire." _She muttered stiffly. Youko stopped dead.

"What did you say?" She blinked, "I don't know…"

"You were speaking in old tongues again. 'Hunters attack and destroy.'"

"Something bad is going to ha-." Her words were cut shot by a scream of terror. Their eyes followed the source of the scream and saw a small cloud of smoke coming from the convention area. "Hunters." The fox hissed.

"Hunters? You mean, like poachers?"

"Yes, they are low ranking demons who sell the exotic hides of other beings for profit."

"That's just sick…well, lets go! We have to help!" Youko looked at her incredulously. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm part of the Vixen Guard." She held up her badge, then yanked on his arm, "C'mon!"

The night was very cool; the band of demons had wanted to build a fire, but their leader sharply admonished them. Flames would give off light and smoke and give away their position to the vulpine company, which they stalked.

So they sat.

In the dark.

In the _cold_ dark.

With out heat.

Or light.

And bitched. A scuffle had almost broken out between them, had the leader not slain the troublemaker with his long pale blade. It was a low ranking and equally low classed demon anyway. Goblins came easy, for this elfin man. His long pointed ears twitching to every grunt and movement his team made. His short black hair stood on end in their vile presence, but his piercing green gaze was enough to scare them to a tolerable distance. They made him sick, but they were quick and strong (though not as much as himself), and many enjoyed killing.

The plan of these poachers was to capture as many young foxes as possible, so that their fur could be cultivated before harvested. Any one who fought back would be killed; and those who were careless enough to get themselves wounded would be left to die. Like I said, workers came easy for this man. Poaching was illegal on accounts of manslaughter, but it was a profitable trade, and he had been able to get away with it for many years. The sun was rising; it was time to move.

Red sat up from her place in a grassy knoll, scratched her ear and stood to kick her brother in the butt. "Blu, hey, Blu." She whispered.

"Wha'?" he said sleepily. Red clamped a hand over his mouth, "Shh! Something is up. I thought I heard voices."

"What else is new?"

"Not _those _voices jerk! Goblin speech." Blu sat up, more alert. "Goblins? Are you sure?" a breeze ruffled his hair, the same breeze that had awoken Youko from his sleep, carried the faint, but unmistakable smell of a goblin. Several goblins. "Poachers?"

"Probably." Red muttered, "Go wake the Vixen Guard, I'll try and get the women with children to a safe place." Blu nodded and scampered silently to the other side of the camping grounds in his fox form. Red padded over to the medical tents; most women stayed there with children of all ages, just in case their precious young were injured.

The lightened sky began to wake many of the foxes by nature, they smelled the air, but something wasn't right. Red and Blu's warning spread through them like a plague. Able-bodied men and the Vixen Guard gathered in the center of the camp ground and waited. A total of five hundred and eighty-three foxes were present, and only half of them could fight, reducing their number to two hundred and fifty. Against an unknown number of goblin poachers, the odds were not good.

The team was moving quickly over the misty ground, the elf in the lead, making signals to the different sections. Left, flank the east; right, flank the west; the rest, surround the north and the foxes would be trapped. The stone pavilion was coming into view, the elf stopped, his infantry with him. Something wasn't right; the element of surprise was no longer on their side. A tall, silver youko stood in his path. "Turn back, poacher, or die." He called bravely. The elf sneered, "Charge!" with amazing speed, the battle begun. There were only ten scores of goblins, but they were each so heavily armored, it was hard to land an effective hit. The goblins were armed with short swords, against each of the youkos with their personal weapons of expertise.

Carina was able to stand on her own, even with her injuries, and fight with two katanas. Youko would not risk using his Death tree, but his Death plant would not endanger others around him; however, the problem of their armor arose again, so he settled for old reliable, the rose whip.

Red and Blu stood back to back, working in unison as only siblings can. With short bows and flaming arrows, the havoc they wrought was rather entertaining. Watching goblins run in circles, beating furiously at the fires on their bodies, screaming and falling down was enough to make anyone crack up. Gabe was using the grass zanbatous again. Because she could not stab or sever limbs, she settled for crushing things under the sheer force of her swings. Surprisingly, the youkos were winning. Three fourths of the enemy was dead or dying, the rest were fleeing. The elf stood amidst his dead followers, his eyes were narrowed to slits. He had spotted Gabe; she was…Gold!! If he captured no one but her, he would become richer than any lord in Makai…He had to have her. The vixen felt his cold eyes on her, she saw him, saw his sword rise in a challenge, and raised hers to accept.

The elf underestimated her as she knocked him back with one swing. He caught himself before the fall and struck back with his pale rapier. Unlike the honorable duel with Carina, the gold youko showed no mercy or sportsmanship. She wanted him to die for trying to kill foxes. She was one of them now, and she took great pride in defending those she cared about.

Their three swords clashed, making a deafening ring. Gabe pulled her swords back and out to the sides; then she swung them toward each other like the minute hand moving toward the hour hand on a clock, but one was higher than the other. If the elf was to jump and dodge the lower blade, his head would be severed, if he were to duck and dodge the upper blade, his legs would be severed at the knee. He was trapped, and die he did, but not without giving a loud, sharp whistle. From the North sprang the hidden battalion to the north. The goblins sprang out of the darkness, still clinging to night and attacked. From the back of her neck rang a loud crack as the pommel of a short sword dealt a blow. A _very_ angry fox soon beheaded the goblin responsible. The long ranging whip cracked and returned to its master. His feet were no fast enough to rescue his fallen comrade and mate. Her body was carried away. He screamed in rage and fought against the flow of gutter-demons. He felt a white hot pain in her collarbone before he heard the deafening bang. A human firearm had shot him. He sank to his knees, and then fled away from perusing bullets. He was not dead, but he would die another day trying to find his lover; he would never see her again before death.

_I love you, Youko. _Her words sounded in his head, as his soul slipped away from is body. _I love you too, Gabe, and I always will._

_…I always will…_

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Amidst a scene of gore, a slim black form step from the shadow of the trees and lowered his hands from the brutal spells he cast. The poachers were dead, and spread across the field in which their prize was bound. The figure pulled back the hood of his cloak, his black hair sticking out at odd angles. 'Bah, hood hair; that's what I get for wearing a cloak 24-7.' His black eyes focused on his objective. He approached a form bound at the wrists and ankles. He knelt beside her and brushed her rose-gold hair from her face. 'I've been watching you, dear vixen. I owe you everything, my life, my home, my soul…I'll look after you now; protect you from others who want to hurt you.' Her eyes opened, twitching around in a dizzy pattern. "Who are you?" she mumbled, "Who am I?" Damn, that goblin hit her hard. The man waved his hand over her eyes and she changed. She became what she was when she was a day old, with no signs of being anything but human. He scooped the baby into his arms; he was taking her away. The precious mark on her neck vanished, along with all her memories…

To be continued in a sequel, the title of which is not yet clear to me. This story is over, but the saga will continue and Youko will be reunited with is love again one day. I want to thank every person who has ever read my story, and every one who has ever left me a kind worded review. You would never know how much you reviewers mean to me, unless you are an author/ess who has received a review. You, the people are my coif of power and I love and appreciate you all; thank you.


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